In Mexico, Three Generations of Family Set Down Roots With a Wooded Compound

Although this new home in San Cristóbal de las Casas, a 16th-century town in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, was designed for just one person, it’s part of a project centered on togetherness: pretty soon, three generations of the same family will be living only a few feet apart.

"Here in Mexico, we say ‘juntos pero no revueltos,’" says the homeowner, Beatriz De Angoitia, referring to a popular expression that translates as "together but not scrambled." "This property is ample enough, and it’s in a privileged location, so everyone can have their own space."

The property in question is a rare 14,000-square-foot wooded lot in the center of town, purchased more than three decades ago by Beatriz, now a retired doctor, and her former husband. The couple’s two children grew up there, in a traditional adobe house that sits at the front of the lot, bordering the street.

One of those children, Santiago Constantino, is the architect leading the transformation of the family home into an intergenerational compound. The contemporary, 1,668-square-foot residence he built for his mother is only one phase of a longer-term plan. Santiago is in the process of building his own house in another section of the garden, and his brother will eventually do the same. The shared grounds will allow the family to remain close enough to help one another.