Conch Shell House

Special Presentation : Episode EEI-S -- More Projects »

Eduardo and Octavio Ocampos live on the island of Isla Mujeres, which is just a sliver of a reef located a short ferry ride from Cancun, Mexico. The island got its name, which means "Island of the Woman," because when Spanish explorers came upon it they found small female statues all over the island. Apparently, after a successful childbirth, women left the idols as an offering to Ixchel (pronounced Eeshell), the Mayan goddess of the moon and fertility.

Eduardo is an architect and construction supervisor who first came to the island about 10 years ago, and Octavio is a well-known artist. The brothers bought some land and built two very different homes. Octavio's house is built in the form of a conch shell, Eduardo's is more traditional.

The conch shell house was built using a fairly traditional foundation, such as concrete, as well as recycled and found materials. Samuel Barrigan is a good friend of the brothers and was involved in the construction.

The conch shell theme continues inside the house. For example, some of the windows look like holes that might be found in a real conch shell. On the first floor, there are no corners--it's completely rounded--and the walls in the home are the same color as the floor.

The mirrors, bathroom accessories, faucets and towel racks were all made by hand. The upstairs bathroom sink is made out of the base of a conch shell. The faucets are made out of coral. The towel racks are made from conch shells and other seashells and items found on the local beach. The adjacent bedroom's headboard looks like a piece of conch shell that has been cut in two.

Also in this Episode

Special Presentation : Episode EEI-S
•	Hawaiian Tree House
•	Conch Shell House
•	Recycled Mountain Home
•	Earth and Sky Home

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