PUEBLO SACBE
sustainable community in the mexican caribean
Is a conscious community growing in the tropical forest between Mother Earth and the Caribbean sea. Our collective dream is to create community in a safe and respectful environment, encouraging awareness of our globe and harmony in our lives. Pueblo SacBe is a protected ecological reserve, made up of 54 hectares of jungle. Our bylaws have been designed to conserve the jungle, preserve our incredible water system and respect the members of the village.
As our philosophy is to live sustainably, we will not be connecting to the Electrical Grid.
As this area is blessed with abundant sunshine and seasonal wind, Pueblo SacBe is promoting conservation and the use of solar and wind generation for electrical power.
The limestone substructure of this area is part of a large river system which frequently appears near ground level in places called cenotes. One of our greatest assets is the water, usually found at eight meters below the land surface. Each lot is supplied with water through a connection to a common network from the center of the community.
WASTE TREATMENT
The Yucatan was below sea level 100,000 years ago, and is made of limestone, which does not provide percolation sufficient to effectively process our waste water. To protect this environment from contamination, SacBe supplies each home with a biodigester. The effluent (grey and black water) travels through chambers where bacteria consume the pathogens. After this process, the residual water travels through an enclosed garden where we grow bananas, elephant ears, birds of paradise and other large leafed plants. They consume the remaining toxins and purify the water that returns to the land as irrigation.
We promote sustainable practices against ecological and water injustice.
Recycling water and organic waste to create gardens.
One of the aims of the inhabitants is to protect the jungle in an area where massive tourism and investment into real estate ruins the natural environment.
In terms of coexistence with nature and with the incorporation of indigenous knowledge and joint work with the community, the aim is not only to preserve nature, but also to enhance the local identity of a living Mayan culture.
ABOUT THE RESIDENCE…
JAGUAR NEGRO , is a space for the creation, dissemination artistic and cultural promotion, which receives students and artists with projects to be carried out in the mayan area of Quintana Roo state, as part of their research or line of work and involving the community with workshops from various branches of the arts and science.
The architectural design done by the artist Stano Cerny, is considered a habitable sculpture within the NATUR ART specialty and the sculpture relationship as a habitable architectural space, remarked at the Nature Art Biennale in Korea 2018. The design and the initial building was a collaboration with Hari Siliceo and local Mayan people
Being a “sanctuary” building that involves aesthetic features that address current problems such as recycling or over-exploitation of natural resources.
Stano Cerny, 2007
The place is built around the trees, the material is ecologically sustainable, made of local materials like lime stone, tropical woods (Zapote, Chechen, Catalox, Frijolillo, Ciricote, Tzalam), the mosaic decoration is from recycled glass bottles, shells and coral sand for the final coat called “sascab”, local white lime stone.
Houses are built to withstand the yearly hurricane season: there are no straight walls, everything is rounded, in harmony with the nature to give the least resistance to the wind. There are no glass windows, so the wind can freely move through the house. This however requires a very flexible mind of living.
The building is open to the jungle.
