Our Project

Two years ago we purchased a building lot in Zihuatanejo Mexico near Playa La Ropa, one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico.  It is the beach in the movie ``Shawshank Redemption``.

We have only been to our land in the dry season and it is amazing how different it is at the end of the rainy season.  The road is covered in vegetation and at the front of the land is a large, prickly, lime green vine that is about 4 feet thick.  It is almost impossible to get on the land from the road.  I should have brought a machete.

At the top of the embankment at the road, there is a fence post.  I try to clear the vine from the top of the post and almost put my hand on a Mexican Flameknee Tarantula.

It is the size of my hand!

Many colourful butterflies are around a flowering tree that is in bloom.

I climb up the land trying to estimate what sort of a view each room would have. We are still happy that we bought the land as it is an easy walk to Playa La Ropa and yet it is high enough for a view of the ocean.

Great room left view

Great room center view

Great room right view

The real estate market here is very slow.  There are plans for large new developments, and some lots have been selling.  Canadians, Mexicans, and some Europeans are the main purchasers.  The Americans are not buying and the number of American tourists has dropped drastically.  The governments are still spending money on infrastructure, local roads are being built and improved, better highways are being built to connect Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo to Acapulco, Morelia, and Mexico City.  However, a lot of new developments have been put on hold.
We have been meeting with Luis, our architect, and working the floor plans.
We have decided to; continue refining the plans, talk to real estate agents,and develop a website for the project.  We will then make a decision about whether to start building.  It is very important that we look at this objectively, as a very wise and talented architect said to me;
                    "Don't fall in love with your project."
                                                              Peter Bruck

We are planning to build 2 semidetached homes that will be a mirror image of each other. Each will be on a 9 meter by 28 meter lot and each home will have;
    Great Room
        Living area, kitchen and dining area – this should be
        as high up as possible for the view.
        Walk in pantry off kitchen with locking door.
        2 piece bathroom off great room
   Laundry Area
   Pool and deck
   Master Bedroom
        Bedroom,  
        walk-in closet with locking door,
        bathroom (toilet, 2 sinks, shower)
    Three guest quarters - each with
        Bedroom, kitchenette,
        covered sitting/eating area,
        bathroom (sink, toilet and shower)

I hope that you can see these drawings enough to understand what we want to build.

The first drawing is a cross section of one home.  The road and the view of the Pacific Ocean are to the left.  The land slops upwards to the right.  The 3 guest quarters are on the bottom.  The great room and kitchen are on the top with the peaked roof.  The master bedroom is at the back with the slopped roof.

The following is the floor plan of the first floor.  There are 2 semidetached homes, this is the one on the left, to the right of this there is an identical home but a mirror image of this one.
The road and the view are at the bottom of the drawing.
The land slopes upwards from the bottom of the drawing to the top.

The drawing shows the 3 guest quarters, each with bedroom, kitchenette, covered sitting/eating area, bathroom (sink, toilet and shower).

The following is the floor plan of the second or top floor.  There are 2 semidetached homes, this is the one on the left, to the right of this there is an identical home but a mirror image of this one.
The road and the view are at the bottom of the drawing.
The land slopes upwards from the bottom of the drawing to the top. This shows; 
   Great Room
        Living area, kitchen and dining area
         – this should be as high up as possible for the view.
        Walk in pantry off kitchen with locking door.
        2 piece bathroom off great room
   Master Bedroom (at the top)
        Bedroom,
        walk-in closet with locking door,
        bathroom (toilet, 2 sinks, shower)
   Pool and deck
        At the bottom of the floor plan. It is above the front guest
        quarters.