Designing and building a home in Baja California Sur means more than picking finishes or chasing views. It’s a process shaped by climate, materials, logistics, and how people actually live here.
We spoke with three professionals who understand that from the inside out: an architect, an interior designer, and a builder. Each brings a different lens, but all agree on one thing: success comes from working with local conditions, not against them.
From solar orientation to performance fabrics to construction oversight, the details matter. If you’re planning to build, already own property, or are simply curious about how homes take shape in Baja, their insights offer a grounded place to start.
Gonzalo Elizarraras, fabriK°G: Build With What the Land Gives You
In Baja, too many houses are designed like they could be anywhere: flat-roofed boxes, ample windows, air conditioning running all day. Some are beautiful. But they fight the land.
I don’t think you should fight the land. I think you should let it tell you how to build. That starts with orientation. You can’t just unreflexively point the house at the view — unless you want to live in a glass oven.
We use passive solar design to cool the home naturally, and compressed earth walls to regulate temperature. The material is 90% soil from the site, with a small amount of cement. It breathes, it insulates, and it’s hurricane-tested.
Designing this way also changes how you think about water, which is more precious than square footage here. We collect rainwater. We reuse greywater for irrigation. The idea is to make a home that needs less; not just less energy, but less repair, less maintenance, less effort to live in.
People ask about style. To me, the question is: What’s the most resilient way to live here? That’s the fundamental design challenge. If your house stays cool most of the year without AC, if it survives a storm without repairs, that’s good architecture. In Baja, that means building with what the land already offers.
Barrie Livingstone, House of Barrie: Design for the Way People Actually Use Their Homes
In Cabo, you’re not doing a primary residence. This is a second or third home. It’s for family, friends, and guests. People entertain, they rent it out, they come for a few weeks or a few months, and the house has to be ready for that kind of life.
Everything has to function. Guest bedrooms need to feel like hotel suites. En suite bathrooms, a desk, a little surface where someone can sit with their laptop or do their nails, that kind of thing. You don’t need a six-drawer dresser. You need surfaces.
And you can’t just pop out to HomeGoods. You can’t go grab lightbulbs or glassware. Everything has to be thought out, ordered, brought in. Towels, sheets, even lamps. We bring our own lightbulbs. That’s how it is here.
Also, no one tells you this, but concrete homes, which is how we build here, sound different. They echo. If you don’t have rugs, drapes, upholstered pieces, it all gets very clattery. We soften that, not just for style, but so the house feels comfortable.
I’m not interested in trends. Trends go out of style. What I care about is that when someone walks into the house five or seven years from now, it still feels beautiful. It still works. Form always follows function. We live differently in Cabo, so adapt and enjoy.
Diego Borrayo, Der Bauunternehmer: You Only Build Once. Do It Right
Most of the clients I work with are building their retirement home. They’ve dreamed about it for years. But dreaming and building are two different things.
Baja isn’t like the U.S. We don’t build with wood. Permits require a complete executive project, including architecture, structure, plumbing, lighting, and data. Getting that approved can take three months or more.
I’ve seen clients bring in designs from abroad that don’t meet local codes, or call for materials that are not available locally. The first step is understanding the context: land use, logistics, and what’s actually buildable.
Then it’s about transparency. I tell every client: shop around. If someone gives you a million-dollar quote on half a page, walk away. My budgets are 12–15 pages. You should know your materials, specs, labor, and finish level before you spend a dollar.
And unless you’re living here full time, you need eyes on the project. I send weekly updates, photos, and walk-throughs. Trust is built through communication. It’s not just about hiring a builder; it’s about choosing a process you can depend on.
You only build once. So don’t rush it. Don’t cut corners. Build something you’ll still want to live in twenty years from now.