Mezcal House | Ambrosi I Etchegaray

The production of mezcal is a traditional activity of great importance in Oaxaca. Today, the growth of the market has increased demand, and now local producers struggle to maintain an artisinal process of production.

The commission consisted in renovating areas destined for the production of mezcal in such a way that exportation standards were met while simultaneously respecting the traditions of the place, the family, and the artisanal method of production.

The project organizes the stages of production around the earth oven that was inherited through generations in the rear patio of the main house.  This central space, framed by a series of walls built with dirt from the site, is at the heart of the project. It also distributes circulation toward the various phases of the process.  In this way, the project is a manifestation of the ritual inherited from the drink, the land, and the traditions of a family that lives the production of mezcal.