Help Build a New Sayulita Community Center by Supporting Bamboo Architecture 

My name is Nick Sherman and I want to personally invite you and everyone you know who believe in a unique, authentic and precious Sayulita to come help make a change for all the inhabitants of Sayulita.

Beginning October 5th, Grupo Ojtat will teach why bamboo is specifically optimal for growing in our bioclimate and how to incorporate it into construction locally.

The course costs $4999pesos / $280usd for the 4 day intensive.

You will learn:

1. Foundations with recycled tires.

2. Bahareque construction technique.

3. Climate change and bamboo.

4. Ojtat´s path.

5. Quality criteria for bamboo architecture

    Selection of species

    Selection of bamboo piece

    Cutting, preservation and drying of bamboo

    Preservation tests

6. Protection by design

7. Bamboo connections

8. Structural systems

9. Elaboration of bamboo structures

10. Bamboo finishings

11. Bamboo structural resistance test

And includes:

Yoga each morning

Healthy breakfasts and mid-day meals

Local history presented by Manuel Trujillo

20% discount at Hotel Kupuri, write for special Code!

Camping during your stay at the astoundingly beautiful Quintas Trujillos.

You win because you will walk away with intensive knowledge of the tools, uses, procurement and treatment of extremely low impact sustainable affordable building techniques. Combining cutting edge modeling with the tried and true techniques of ancestral Mexican building, Grupo Ojtat will provide you with the knowledge to build your own structure, locally and sustainably.

Sayulita wins because the project you will be building is our new shared space for "Centro" Sayulita.

The globe wins because you can cut the impact of traditional concrete & block building methods by 35%

First Bamboo workshop: October 5th-8th

Second Bamboo workshop: November Thanksgiving dates pending

Third Bamboo workshop: December pending

Fourth Bamboo workshop: Pre Festival Sayulita, prior to Jan 31-Feb 4

Now a little bit about who and how this all came to be. This is a list of some of the groups involved with the beginning of Festival Sayulita and Centro. I am so proud of what we local groups have accomplished working together.

Sayulita Life Without Ian and Kerry's family business based in Sayulita we never could have spoken to our core. They have been constant partners, friends, and co-collaborators.

Quintas Trujillo represents the family of the Trujillos in Sayulita. The family has a long tradition of stewarding Sayulita towards a more integrated and positive future. Manuel's father loaned the land under the baseball field and worked to create a team so Sayulita enjoys a baseball team. It is impossible to calculate the importance of this team to Sayulita over the last 50 years. El campo de beisbol also provides the space for the only public park for children in Sayulita. Manuel’s mom donated the land underneath the current pump plant to provide water for Sayulita. The Quintas Trujillo purpose is: To preserve in the best manner possible, the unique and authentic bonds to the land that their family has fostered throughout their history in Sayulita. Through conservation, stewardship and careful planning, Quintas Trujillo intent is to reinforce the families ties to the people and the land for a more integrated and conscious Sayulita.  

Pro Sayulita A non-political, duly-registered and federally-recognized Mexican non-profit association (A.C.), that was founded in 2005 by concerned local and foreign citizens committed to enriching the quality of life for ALL, in the beautiful seaside town of Sayulita, Mexico. Pro Sayulita works in almost every aspect of Sayulita; from aiding in traffic services, wastewater services, liaising between local, municipal, state and federal organizations. Without the support of ProSayulita, Festival Sayulita and Centro could not have come to fruition.

Riviera Nayarit The Riviera Nayarit Convention & Visitors Bureau (Riviera Nayarit CVB) is a private, non-profit, mutual benefit association composed of approximately 45 direct Riviera Nayarit hotel members, as well as participation from other sectors of the community such as local organizations, businesses, local and state governments, and individuals seeking a better community through the tourism industry. Riviera Nayarit has been a founding sponsor for Festival Sayulita and the team there works to promote all aspects of Sayulita and the larger Riviera Nayarit.

Festival Sayulita and “Centro” are the successful end product of the efforts of hundreds of local Sayulita volunteers, ten of thousands of paying concert attendees, thousands of VIP tickets sales, local business investments of time and materials.

Festival Sayulita is the ongoing yearly film festival + locally inspired sports activities + fine dining & drinking + concert series created to highlight the best Sayulita has to offer the world. Festival Sayulita is made up of a team volunteers working year round to promote the sustainable enjoyment of our town in order to generate funds for “Centro” Sayulita. Festival Sayulita is dedicated to shining a positive light on the culture, spirit and local flavor authentic to Sayulita.

Grupo Ojtat is Ricardo Leyva and Sam Limón. Grupo Ojtat is an auto-sustainable architectural environmental building company that specializes in teaching and utilizing locally sourced materials and implementing the extensive use of bamboo.

We started this dream almost 10 years ago. We are a group of friends & families who live in Sayulita. Years ago we saw similar problems we have currently in Sayulita. Our roads and traffic need improving, our water treatment plant, sewers, and river are under heavy use, our children need more positive activities, and our community is divided. What could we do to create a long lasting positive impact on Sayulita without causing more of the same problems?

We have a tourism driven economy. This is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that in consideration of all the globe, Sayulita is popular and has more work opportunities than other areas of the world. The curse is that Sayulita is popular and therefore more and more people are coming to visit and also to find work. This will inevitably place more stress on our physical infrastructure.

There are several groups working together within Sayulita, alongside our municipal, state and federal government representatives to tackle these engineering and physical infrastructure issues. There will inevitably be more as our town grows. These issues are the physical problems our town faces.

Festival Sayulita and Centro Sayulita were planned to positively approach the real and growing social issues our town faces. Festival Sayulita works to bring the best in Latin America and International Cinema to Sayulita along with the best chefs, spirit vendors, musicians, artists and more to come share with us in the appreciation of Sayulita. El Centro Sayulita is a year long home to mentorship programs, environmental studies, a modern library, large multi-use shared areas.

We began by talking in small groups and larger groups, asking for help and guidance and ideas and we slowly came up with a long term plan to help influence in a positive way the conversation about Sayulita and make an auto-sustainable financial engine to provide funds for a creative community center.  Festival Sayulita and “Centro” were born.

In the simplest terms: Festival Sayulita is devoted to presenting the best of Sayulita to the world and “Centro” is devoted to improving the lives of the inhabitants of Sayulita. Festival Sayulita has become the self-sustaining financial engine that provides most of the funding for a creative and cultural center for the community. “Centro” will be our shared space, our new model of inspired architecture with locally sourced materials built in a modern style with the most traditional Mexican building techniques.

Festival founders began meeting years ago worked on a plan. Land was always the key ingredient for the success or failure of our project to create a festival and have it generate funds for a creative community center in Sayulita. We began our journey as a collaboration with Quintas Trujillo so we shared the idea and they helped improve it and then they made it possible. The family partnered with us to present Festival Sayulita at Quintas Trujillo and we launched the dream of “Centro” Sayulita.

Over the last five years, with the support and partnership of las Quintas Trujillo, Riviera Nayarit, ProSayulita, SayulitaLife we have grown in our knowledge of how to successfully steward a positive cultural and social event in balance with the mission of managed growth with a positive social impact for Sayulita.

This last summer I was told about an architect in town and his wife, an economist, wanted to build a library. Sebastian worked for Mundo Verde Architects and we met and he told me about his idea to bring Grupo Ojtat, an architectural building organization, to Sayulita to build the library. I shared with Sebastian all our vision for Festival Sayulita and “Centro” and he loved the idea of a shared creative space. We began our partnership with Sebastian & Tania and Grupo Ojtat.

We had a great plan, we had a team to build and teach at the same time, we had everything except much money and nowhere to build.

Sebastian convinced me that it was worth trying one more time going to ask people for land or a lease or help. “Centro” was planning a motorcycle safety class and I needed to ask Manuel Trujillo if we could present the motorcycle course at Quintas Trujillo. I explained the motorcycle classes and I added what Sebastian had told me about Grupo Ojtat and how amazing an opportunity we had to build “Centro” and also learn building local, sustainable and economically with locally sourced materials. He said that yes, we could have the motocycle course at Quintas Trujillo, past el Fuente Water.

Manuel and Sebastian spoke later and Sebastían explained that Grupo Ojtat operated a living classroom- how the students are actively building a real project and at the same time learning the techniques they can use throughout their lives and to build their own houses. Grupo Ojtat begins with a thorough scientific environmental section, followed by the introduction to the tools needed, how to procure materials, a tightly focused usable course directed to all different levels of physical mobility and comfort with building or construction.

As an architect, Sebastian incorporates many of the sustainable building techniques from Grupo Ojtat classes. The social impact he has participated in fired his imagination as to what could positively contribute Sayulita, what would be a lasting contribution. Manuel knew all the plans of “Centro” and the opportunity to work with Sebastian, Grupo Ojtat, and Festival Sayulita and he agreed to meet with us and the Trujillo family to discuss the idea.

We met with the Trujillo family and presented the plan of partnering with Grupo Ojtat in order that they stay here to give classes on sustainable bamboo building and using their classroom as our “Centro.” We spoke about the timing and whether waiting for later, for something else or another time but the family said no. The time is now because the children are getting older every day.

As a collaborative effort between Quintas Trujillo, Riviera Nayarit, Pro Sayulita, Sayulita Life, Grupo Ojtat, and Festival Sayulita we are proud to present the plan for “Centro” Sayulita.

“Centro” is dedicated to strengthening the bonds of community within Sayulita through focusing on youth, preservation of key principles of our ancestors, and feeding the creative spirit in a shared space in harmony with nature. The current plan includes spaces for collaborative workshops, a modern library, a stage for movies and music, and functional multi-use space for public meetings.

“Centro” has been an active contributor to improving the lives of the inhabitants of Sayulita. “Centro” has hosted multiple years of active learning workshops in collaboration with Festival Sayulita. Each Friday night “Centro” presents a free children’s cinema with popcorn and agua frescas in the colonia of Tamarindos. Every other week “Centro” hosts a free children’s art camp in the same location. This is all possible with the local collaborative efforts of the colonia and friends of “Centro” and of course, Festival Sayulita. All these efforts depend on a small network of friends, neighbors and visitors, all who love Sayulita.

We would like to share with everyone the “Centro” Mission and Vision statements. These are a few words that we use to help guide our steps for the future decisions of what we together can bring to our town.

Vision. To be the community center of Sayulita where the values ​​of its predecessors are recognized and practiced; a sustainable space of integration, leisure, and learning in an environment of harmony, respect and equality between the community and with nature.

Mission. Promote and encourage the integration and creativity of the inhabitants of Sayulita, especially children, and contribute to the construction of a community in harmony with ourselves and with nature; in a social and sustainable space where the appreciation, development, and exchange of artistic, cultural, sports and crafts activities are celebrated.

There are so many things to explain, to talk about and to document. We are working as fast as we can to design, plan, communicate, coerce, laugh and all during this incredible summer. Over the next few weeks we would like to explain more about Festival Sayulita and "Centro"; who is involved and of course, ask for help in spreading the word.  

But for now, we are asking for signups or scholarships. Scholarships to educate people how to maximize their building budget and leave the world a little better than they found it. Scholarships cost $4999pesos or $280usd. Information on the full fee breakout can be found here, the information for the inscriptions or scholarships can be found here, and more information about the workshop can be found here.