Tepoztlán enjoys a certain mystique for its pre-Hispanic past and its reputed creative and curative energies. Ensconced amid mountains and beneath a vast sky, the infinitely green valley also has a seasonal river flowing through it. The profuse vegetation covers the hills, concealing the Cerro del Tepozteco despite its imposing proximity. 

At ground level the warmth and humidity can be felt even in the shade of the trees. Panoramic views spread out in every direction. And above the tree canopies, in the wide-open sky, the approaching clouds reveal the location of rain showers. Dusk briefly bathes the west-facing “sacred mountain” in a warm orange glow as a prelude to nightfall when stars begin dotting the sky and the nocturnal fauna starts to sound.

Soler Orozco Arquitectos and Javier Sanchez's client, an avid athlete, wanted to embed a house in this environment as a space dedicated to improving people's physical and emotional well-being. As its guiding design principle, the spa needed to blend into the site without impinging on the landscape, keeping the architecture out of view and recognizing how the context changes between the dry and rainy seasons.

The architectural form is based around a truncated cone of volcanic stone covered by a green roof-dish, a borderless shape that cannot be grasped as a whole. Symbolically the spa is a procession that begins by entering the mountain through a tunnel and circulating through the spaces to reach the main body, and emerging on the other side, with steps leading up to offer views of the awe-inspiring natural surroundings from another perspective.