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My wife and I will be visiting the Lake Chapala area this fall on our first exploratory trip after doing a lot of armchair research.  During our visit, we want to contact some real estate related professionals. 

We want to meet architects who have experience with rammed earth construction, who work well with clients, and who are not just out of the university.

We also want to meet construction consultants who could help us oversee a remodeling or new-build construction project.  My wife and I would be on-site, but we have never built a house either in the US or in Mexico, so we’d like someone who can help us make sure that what the architect helps us design gets built.  An example would be that the concrete mix is appropriate.

Thanks for any suggestions you can make.

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16 minutes ago, wanghaozhi said:

My wife and I will be visiting the Lake Chapala area this fall on our first exploratory trip after doing a lot of armchair research.  During our visit, we want to contact some real estate related professionals. 

We want to meet architects who have experience with rammed earth construction, who work well with clients, and who are not just out of the university.

We also want to meet construction consultants who could help us oversee a remodeling or new-build construction project.  My wife and I would be on-site, but we have never built a house either in the US or in Mexico, so we’d like someone who can help us make sure that what the architect helps us design gets built.  An example would be that the concrete mix is appropriate.

Thanks for any suggestions you can make.

Be careful!

Architect Provides Budget-Minded Family with Stunning Rammed Earth Ajijic House

Tatiana-Bilbao-Ajijic-House1.jpg

https://inhabitat.com/architect-provides-budget-minded-family-with-stunning-rammed-earth-ajijic-house/

 

 

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In the article cited, no mention is made of 'pure passive' solar design, probably because, while the raked roof of one section suggests that design approach, the pattern of windows overall doesn't conform to that model, which faces due south and admits light deep into the home in the winter and shelters it in the summer.  (We have a PPS home at our ranch east of Napa, and it works well.) Definitely look into it.

In the '90s, I participated in a few strawbale projects, mainly around Marin County, and the mantra was 'broad hat and boots', indicating that earthen surfaces need protection from the impact and splashing of rain.  

I have heard that some areas Lakeside have shifting soil, a process that has caused some hairline cracks in our 'solar' slab foundation after 40 years.

Certainly, be careful, and it also helps to be rich.  Bon chance!

 

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There are numerous Avante-Gard building systems out there... Some work and some don't... Selecting a system that is not common in a given area may be a deep hole into which one pours money... Climate control here is not a player 90% of the time which is a strong selling point with this particular system.

The article on the rammed earth home mentions pine floors which would be music to the local termite population...

I have over 40 years of managing both domestic and international construction projects. I would encourage a great deal of due diligence on this or any construction project here at Lakeside...

I strongly suggest that as you move forward you employ personnel with known results and with strong reputations.

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13 minutes ago, Jreboll said:

Flying concrete doesn’t seem to have much insulation. Those house could be hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Would be interesting to hear first hand experience

Flying concrete is full of insulation - perlite/concrete - which is also fireproof. If you are coming in the fall, Guanajuato is not too far away and very interesting.

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I was once looking into aerated concrete to build a house in south Texas. There is a company in Monterrey that has the concession from German company Hebel. Their blocks have high R value, light, easy to cut and easy to work with. There was a college professor that was using college kids to build his house. I never saw the finished project and my plans changed so I never followed up on it.

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Kelly and Rosanna Hart used to live here, but they missed their small town U.S.A. lifestyle and returned there (I believe Colorado). Kelly still keeps up a website, and would probably thrilled to at least offer advice in Mexico. They tried to introduce some low income, cement over strawbale houses, but as is often the case here, the locals lost interest, saying "you do the work, and give me the keys when it is finished".

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/index.htm

here is a part of the website which deals with lightweight concrete. It sounds like Steve may using crushed pumice or limestone - which they call JAL locally.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/pumicecrete.htm

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Our house in the Colorado mountains was built using Cempo made of recycled polystyrene and concrete. Similar to Rastra. It was like big legos with holes in the center where you poured regular concrete for a post and beam effect. Pretty amazing house - warm in winter - cool in summer with some passive solar. One of the neighbors had straw-bale.

There are some amazing building techniques but you do need to find an expert.

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You might wish to check with a realtor on the resale aspects of an alternatively constructed house... We all sell sometime and your potential market may be diminished...

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Do not try anything new or unproven here. You will be sorry. This is not the U.S. And do not get involved with expats who are looking to set up "new methods" in Mexico. They will be gone with your money before your new place is finished and crumbles to the ground.

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10 minutes ago, ComputerGuy said:

Do not try anything new or unproven here. You will be sorry. This is not the U.S. And do not get involved with expats who are looking to set up "new methods" in Mexico. They will be gone with your money before your new place is finished and crumbles to the ground.

Good advice from CG!  But if you decide not to heed it, rest assured you will find plenty of experts in these parts who will assure you they know exactly what you are looking for and their pitch will be as smooth as silk. They will be expert hand holders also......at least at first and you will be thrilled with your choice. You may even be singing their praises on this board, so pleased you will be.  CG's last sentence may stick in your craw a little further down the road.

YMMV

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When we were getting ready to reno the house we bought in Ajijic for a BnB we had several parties give us proposals and prices. We were very impressed with one from a "friend" of the Realtor who sold us the house. He was smooth, polite and talked a good game. We went with someone else who happened to live close by and whose work we were able to examine more closely. We came close to using the other fellow.  We now are friends with the other fellow and we both chuckle about our common memory. He is a highly regarded restaurant owner in SJC who is a great chef, manager and gives back to the community. He is great at that calling and we are both glad of the choice we made.

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3 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

Do not try anything new or unproven here. You will be sorry. This is not the U.S. And do not get involved with expats who are looking to set up "new methods" in Mexico. They will be gone with your money before your new place is finished and crumbles to the ground.

You mean stick with adobe and lime whitewash? Mexican architects in the 1960's on, were responsible for some of the world's most innovative and ground breaking structures.

https://www.google.com/search?q=modern+mexican+architecture&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjh6uqfssfbAhUBI6wKHRhSAXIQsAQINw&biw=1280&bih=898

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Cabrera y asociados, are specialist contractors on rammed earth. Specially with rammed earth you will need a contractor with experience and the full equipment to build it, otherwise it can become a serious risk on the quality and work not being done efficiently. They are in Mexico City but they have done work in Guadalajara and that house in Chapala. There is also the alternative of using pressed earth block, similar passive solar qualities to rammed earth not as stunning appearance though. Strawbale is not very common, I would not recommend it lakeside. Adobe, cob and superadobe are also possibilities if you are interested in alternative construction methods.

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7 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

You mean stick with adobe and lime whitewash? Mexican architects in the 1960's on, were responsible for some of the world's most innovative and ground breaking structures.

https://www.google.com/search?q=modern+mexican+architecture&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwjh6uqfssfbAhUBI6wKHRhSAXIQsAQINw&biw=1280&bih=898

Then you try it. Sorry, man, but what a dumb answer. Your history lesson has absolutely nothing, nothing, to do with what this guy is talking about.

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Now that is pretty funny - considering that 95% of the houses constructed Lakeside suffer from poor concrete, leaky roofs, electrical short circuits, plumbing failure, salitre. Very few of them would pass even basic building codes of Canada or the U.S.A. The OP is seeking an architect/builder - my point is that Mexico has produced some of  the world's finest, especially in modern architure style, which many modern Mexicans prefer, especially urbanites.

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So on the one hand, Mexico was " responsible for some of the world's most innovative and ground breaking structures", and on the other "very few of them would pass even basic building codes of Canada or the U.S.A."

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with the first part, although I wonder what a quick Google would turn up on that topic. The OP is looking for something very specific, with no visits or awareness of how things are done here, and it is only fair to warn them in the strongest possible terms. From what I read, it is a fairly experimental, expensive, "sustainable" technology... emphasis on "experimental" when looking for expertise lakeside.

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yes it would be a good idea to know what kind of land you will be building on before making plans on the construction..Also a good idea to know what materials are available and at what price.

 

Also start worrying when you hear "Do not worry Sr.. we can do that , no problem.." Better see a few that have been done that way..

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19 minutes ago, bmh said:

yes it would be a good idea to know what kind of land you will be building on before making plans on the construction..Also a good idea to know what materials are available and at what price.

 

Also start worrying when you hear "Do not worry Sr.. we can do that , no problem.." Better see a few that have been done that way..

Very good advice! 

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