Transitions

Hill top bright reds, golds and greens among the rocks.

Wednesday morning after my yoga practice, I changed into a pair of jeans and t-shirt, got in my white landcruiser and drove to the last summer project job site. As I walked up the driveway, I heard someone call my name. When I turned around and saw my friend through the screen door of her parents casita, I couldn’t help but literally jump for joy.  Over coffee with her and her husband, we talked about transitions between seasons, climates, altitudes, surroundings and lifestyles. Later, he mentioned the theme I used for our Friday morning yoga class: Transitions. Noticing how we pause, move and breathe through the transitions between the poses, giving that time as much attention as the pose itself.

This time of year is acutely transitional. End of slow season, beginning of high season. Friends coming, town filling, restaurant owners happy to see their tables filled, smiles, abundance and high spirits surround. Driving across the arroyo to my Monday evening yoga class, I saw a familiar face behind the wheel of a large white pickup, loaded to the top with bikes, kayaks and more. A common site this time of year.

Blooming blues along the overgrown trail and up a sunlit hill.

Over decades of working in design-build, the transition time is built into our field. Some projects overlap, sometimes one ends and another begins. Earlier this year, we turned over one set of blue prints to a happy couple and the next day received the down payment to start a set for another. A rare event for one project to end and the next day start anew.  Often there multiple projects happening in different directions and styles, varying to reflect those who will live in these spaces. The biggest contrast I remember working in at the same time - remembering contrast for us is the norm - were two large sets of plans. One was for a multifamily complex, all 90 degree angles, concrete, modern, square, hard and as often as I suggested the inclusion of organic materials, whether it be rock or brick or wood, all in contemporary fashion, anything to soften and add warmth to the overall design, that was how often it was either accepted short term or rejected. At the same time I was working on a set of plans for a cob house, hacienda style old world, round, soft warm and enveloping. The learning curve between the two did much to stretch my brain and increase our range in one big swoop.

Back to transitions – the transition between projects, the in between time when we are not sure where our next build will be. There are several designs on my table with indefinite starting dates to begin their build. One crew will finish up their portion of  work on our project this week, the other early next. After they high five our clients as they roll into the driveway, our artisans will roll out and down the hill to our home where we have a few small projects for them to complete here. A rock riverbed to direct gray water between trees and bamboo. Remove a few bricks at the entrance to our outdoor kitchen living area to allow for a larger opening, easier transition between garden and outdoor living and bring the green view under the palapa while we hang out under the palm eaves.

The cob ranch house we started at Rancho el Aventadero, my husband’s sustainable ranch project, is nearing the earth build cob phase. The structure to support its foam roof is concrete post and beam, walls and filler will be cob. Our first chance to build with the material I drew into plans several years ago. I look around our property at home: the palapa and outdoor kitchen and living area, an outdoor bathroom, walkways. Then I look at our office building and remember the years it took to build that one, too. Healing Winds Holistic Center happened between 2008 and 2013. All our own buildings have experienced progress and growth during times of transition, the in between times when we have crews to maintain while we meet with new cients, draw plans, punch numbers, reach agreements and wait for  shovels  to hit the next ground. Much growth and expansion that lives within us and around us, all part of transitions, times we didn’t know where we would work next, times when I often quietly inquired or maybe even dared to voice it outloud to Javier: Are we done? Are there more areas to draw, spaces to create, places to build? If everything eventually runs its course, how do we know when this course has done its run? 

Green from summer rains transition into fall.

We don’t know. Just like the shop owner on the Los Barriles main drag, 20 de Noviembre. Every day, he opens his shop and sets up his display of colorful dresses and touristy things without knowing who, how many or if anyone will show up or what he will sell on that day. Every day, he takes down every single thing to put them away for the night and close up shop. The morning after, repeat. Our business is not so much a walk in business, buy something and either wear it on your head or carry it on the plane to take home after a Baja vacation. It is more of a go home to, open the door, go inside and make yourself at home in a longer Baja vacation sort of deal. One that requires deep thought, consideration, lifestyle changes, dreams manifested, big steps, big transitions in life. So, while we continue to put our names out there, draw new plans and plug away on our transitional projects while the next life transition for another becomes our home base project for its time, we do our best to breathe, trust and know that we do not know who has plans to contact us or who our next client will be, and yes, we also worry, we look at our funds and know that transitional projects of our own have a short shelf life and the sooner funds are coming in, rather than going out, all the better. We breathe, notice where we are holding, sometimes head hurting, tension behind the eyes and between the brows, and we breathe some more. We get up, make maravilla coffee, enjoy it together under the stars before the kids get up and we move into the new day. One of us drives our daughter and twin boys down the road to school, son to work for his gram as his school day starts after work. A hike, a yoga session or a yoga class and then the office. And we continue to work, remembering a quote by Picasso, “Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” Inspiration, for us, sometimes appears in the shape of inspired clients, excited and ready to make the next transition in their lives. Their transition transitions ours. Until the next time. And so the cycle continues. Sun rises, sun sets. Inhale, notice the pause, feel the space, exhale and release. Repeat. One breath, one step, one day at a time.

To another fun filled week of adventure!
Kindly,
Tehroma

Friday afternoon, closing up the office for the weekend.
There is something rewarding about knowing that we did it.
We showed up, we worked, we thrived and another week is behind us.
A weekend to enjoy. A new week before us.
Change the clocks, fall back, pause, and continue to move forward.

Weekend transitions.

Summer's End

Summer’s End

Southern Baja is lush, green and buggy. High season is upon us. The quiet of summer now coming to an end. I can hear the front loader spreading dirt on the road that leads up to our home and neighborhood hill. Numerous earth soaking, green leaving, butterfly producing rains drizzled and poured from the sky this last summer. We boarded up for one hurricane this summer and I am ready to take the ones still up, down, letting the cool fall air and sunlight stream in, morning, day and before the night.

Yoga and Healing Winds

Six months ago, I led my first official, street legal and Yoga Alliance certified yoga class the Sukhasana Yoga and Pilates Studio – our first yoga class to be offered in Spanish to the local community. Attendance has been consistent, averaging ten students per class. So far, mostly women. From time to time a new student will show up, curious about the practice, having heard about it from another and quietly rolls out a mat in our studio.

Fall afternoon in the rain 2015

Jackie Reeves, our beloved yoga teacher and manager of Sukhasana Yoga and Pilates Studio since 2009, has already written up and posted the November schedule. It is packed with inspiring variety, both in classes and time slots. Check out our group FB page for schedule updates November through April, the high season. Jackie is also our GM for Healings Winds during the high season and she Rocks! Check out the “More Info” button on Healing Winds Holistic Center from our Home page to view all four studios, the courtyard and more!

Outdoor Living in Baja

As summer nears its end, our summer projects at UBL Designs are wrapping up with artisans applying the final tiles, paint and carefully detailed hand crafted touches. Kitchen tiles, pebbled walkways, bright and cheerful bedroom and bathroom additions with sparkling side or skylights - to name a few - await the arrival of friends and clients who have been away all summer, entrusting us to work on their homes while they spend summers in cooler climates up north or overseas.

UBL Designs, previously known as Vos en Construction, has been one of the premier builders in the East Cape since 1991. Over the years, we have designed and built one of a kind custom homes, remodels, additions, provided design consulting for interiors – providing creative solutions to projects in progress that sometimes reach a halt when owners reach the “how do we finish this project” phase, as well as, created outdoor living areas that feel like a home in themselves. We have witnessed and been part of the boom, then recession in the East Cape building industry, and worked through all the places in between. Builders have come, some have stayed, some have gone. When asked who is our competition these days, my reply and opinion stands: there is no competition or comparison. Every designer, architect, engineer, builder, contractor – we all have our own style and philosophy in our design-build practice. The East Cape attracts an eclectic group of people from all over the world. For each living area to be created, either indoor or outdoor, there is a designer and builder perfectly suited for you.

June afternoon with family and friends 2014

However, due to our knowledge and experience, full time living in the East Cape for over two decades myself - all four seasons in each year, longer for my husband and business partner who was born and raised in Buena Vista, there is an area we love and are expanding within: designing and building Outdoor Living Areas. Our artisans are expert craftsman, patient, detail oriented and have worked with us for years, one of them for as long as the company has been around. Our team is set and ready to move forward!

In Baja, outdoor living is available and enjoyable year round. Whether you are relaxing or entertaining, surround yourself with greenery, the sky above, water and mountains beyond. Bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. Indoor-Outdoor Living is about creating seamless design as you move from one area to the next during your daily living. To share different ideas and inspirations for how we can create the perfect Outdoor Living Area for you and yours, UBL Designs will be hosting a Winter Garden and Outdoor Living Area Tour - January 6, 2016. Mark your calendars, hold the date and stay tuned for more details about the tour.

Home

Before the onset of gentle summer rain and downpours of this past season, Javier and I had agreed to thin out our yard. Less is more. We started a conversation and practice during our summer vacation in Oaxaca years ago, committing to the simplification of our lives. A conversation, intention and practice that is part of our every day. Some days we do better than others. All of our gray water from showers, lavatory sinks and washing machine is immediately used to water our plants. Our home is sited on the higher elevation of our yard, making all gray water runs easy to direct. The only water that goes to our septic system is black water from toilets and kitchen sink. We did attempt years ago to re-use kitchen sink water. A year and half into the experiment, hot and humid air, smell and… let’s connect this line to the septic, now! Living in the desert where water is scarce, all our plants are hearty, many live off gray water, most of them are volunteers – desert plants, as well as flowers, and trees. We started with a few and the multiplication began. The last four years have provided wetter summers than I can remember, this one taking the prize. Seeing all the purple flowers in bloom and the trees turn into a jungle this summer, not only inspired our ten year old daughter to suggest we get monkeys, but for us to leave all the plants as they are, blooming, a little buggy and definitely overflowing. While this might not work for another, it works for us. Our home will be one of the eight Winter Garden and Outdoor Living Areas on the tour. Every one of them - unique, beautiful and livable.

Purple flowers and Chappy the mystery dog, Fall morning 2015

To all our friends returning to Baja for Fall, Winter and Spring – Welcome Home! See you in the studio, hopefully on the tour, on the beach, next door, around town and at Chapito’s, for sure!

Kindly, Tehroma

Home and summer's end 2015