Mundo Verde Sustainable Architecture for Sayulita

It is evident when talking with Javier Oliva and Laura Maiz, owners of Mundo Verde, a green architectural firm in Sayulita, how much they love their work. They light up as they talk about past and future projects, as well as their commitment to sustainability. “We design projects to use as little electricity and water as possible. We have three children and we want to leave them a better world,” the couple shared.

Javier earned his architectural degree in Mexico City and after working there for 10 years, moved to Madrid with his family. There, for the next nine years, he learned about sustainable architecture, which is a mandatory practice in Spain. Upon returning to Mexico, Javier and Laura bought land in Sayulita, and began to design and construct their home. “We ran into problems with contractors not showing up when they said they would and not finishing projects on time. We thought, ‘Ok, we have all of the suppliers. We can help people here and bring sustainable architecture to Sayulita,’” Javier said.

Javier has designed and built a lot of projects in Sayulita in the last 11 years. He built Colina la Iguana, Los Maizes, Huerta de Mar, Casa Regalo, and two classrooms at Costa Verde International School, to name a few.

It is also common for Javier to incorporate eco-friendly systems in already-built homes. Mundo Verde’s “star” product is solar energy and they have done more than 50 installations, adding solar panels and incorporating solar water heaters and high efficiency pumps for swimming pools. They install recycled water systems and water filtration systems, add small composts, and switch chemical-based swimming pools to salt water systems. They also add anti-reflection material to flat roofs and do green roof planting, which provides insulation and helps keep the temperature lower in homes.

“We have FIDE accreditation (which there are only two in the area) and give financing for energy saving systems at a 8.3% annual interest rate,” said Javier and Laura.

Mundo Verde also focuses on using eco-friendly materials in the construction of homes. For example, they build recycled decks, as well as bamboo decks, and also work with paper stone. “It is made of recycled paper and is as hard as marble. It works great for countertops,” said Laura.

Mundo Verde opened an office in town last year, and Javier and Laura are excited about this, stating, “We have many clients in Sayulita and it is important that they see us and know that we are here. It is key that we provide good service and high quality products, are professional, and have satisfied customers. We always do our projects on time and quote presented to the client, without compromising quality.”