Bohl Architects featured in Architectural Digest

Los Angeles design mavens Robert Willson and David Serrano conjure an idiosyncratic tropical paradise from the ruins of a 19^th-century home in Mérida, Mexico, architecture by Bohl Architects.

Chip Bohl, head of Bohl Architects, was enlisted to bring order, light, and modern amenities to the ruinous 19th-century residence. To accomplish that, he explains, "we kept the three original rooms and added guest rooms, a new kitchen, a dining room, a pool, and a master suite that is now connected to the rest of the house." The kitchen contains cabinetry designed by Bohl Architects, inspired by traditional Yucatan doors.

Because the structure is bracketed by adjoining houses, the only existing windows were on the street facade. To introduce natural illumination and breezes, Bohl installed numerous clerestory windows, striking oculi, and small glass-block skylights throughout. He also devised two diminutive courtyards, one between the two guest rooms and the other off the kitchen.

Photography by Tim Street-Porter