Tecorrales

Tecorrales are dry stone walls or enclosures typically used between fields to define spaces or contain animals. When abandoned or sufficiently thick, hedgerows naturally grow between the protective pile of rocks, creating an ecosystem that helps maintain green connections, retains water, and prevents soil erosion.

For this open, nearly square site with a gentle slope, we chose to embrace the essence of traditional tecorrales, using their defining lines to create rooms within the landscape. These lines, made of dry-stone walls, were combined with at least two other elements: a path, a ditch, or a hedgerow. These boundaries evolved into spaces themselves, enriching the ecosystem and fostering new habitats. When it rains, runoff water filters through the tecorrales system, filling the natural pool.

The rooms invite us to play, swim, sit, and lie down. Together, they create the scenography for all sorts of stories to unfold—whether it’s an encounter with a curious frog, a sighting of a bird’s fleeting appearance, or perhaps a hare passing by.