Stylish Recycled Hotel Rooms in Mexico
July 11th, 2011 by Glenn Meyers
Tubohotel in Mexico
Recycling is taking new turns, this time in the hotel industry.
The item being recycled: concrete tubes – the kind used for water and sewer lines. And for what use are these tubes being recycled? They are hotel rooms on the cheap — priced at $42 a night.
Designed by the architecture firm, T3arc, the tubes-as-rooms are owned by Mexico’s Tubohotel. The hotel, opened in 2010, offers guests and unusual and affordable holiday destination.
Located approximately 45 minutes south of Mexico City in the village of Tepoztlan, Morelos, the rooms of the hotel are stacked like a pyramid might be assembled, reflecting the Aztec pyramid of El Tepozteco that overlooks the town.
T3arc writes: “The idea came when we built Cafe Five, where we saw the need to adapt an inexpensive room for users. In our search for solutions, we found Desparkhotel, the work of the architect Andreas Strauss in 2006, using recycled concrete pipes for hotel rooms. Our client decided to make a hotel with the same characteristics as the Desparkhotel on a ground that is located on the outskirts of Tepoztlan, with excellent panoramic views of the Sierra del Tepozteco. Located in a wooded setting of unusual features, the surrounding environment provides an unique natural environment and for our project.”
By stacking one tube on top of two base tubes, they were able to create a striking visual display without impacting the surrounding natural environment.
TheTubohotel offers 20 concrete rooms, each measuring 2.44 meters by 3.5 meters approximately 8 ft x 11.5 ft). The rooms feature a queen size bed, desk light, fan, and under-bed storage. The rooms overlook a central courtyard, which is otherwise completely surrounded by lush native trees.
As can be imagined, the rooms do not have enough space for a bathroom. As a result, guests have access to two communal bathhouses on the hotel property.
Work such as this is exciting to see because of the smart way in which materials have been reused, rather than being destined for crushing or a landfill.
PHOTO: T3arc
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About the Author
Glenn Meyers is a writer, producer, and director. Meyers was editor and site director of Green Building Elements, a contributing writer for CleanTechnica, and is founder of Green Streets MediaTrain, a communications connection and eLearning hub. As an independent producer, he's been involved in the development, production and distribution of television and distance learning programs for both the education industry and corporate sector. He also is an avid gardener and loves sustainable innovation.
