The ALMA experience : Sustainability
What sustainability really means, beyond labels, and beyond marketing.
In this interview, we continue the conversation with Frédéric Baron and Noémie Bourdin-Habert, the developers behind ALMA, an architectural project in Huatulco that blends design, sustainability, and community. They share what sustainability really means behind the scenes—beyond labels, and beyond marketing.
Where does the sustainability commitment behind ALMA come from?
Noémie: Sustainability is deeply rooted in the genesis of ALMA and closely tied to my own professional background. I spent much of my career working in renewable energy and environmental solutions, so seeking out responsible and ecological approaches has always felt quite natural to me.
I moved from France to China at 23 and began working in the photovoltaic sector. Over the following twelve years, across China, Europe, and California, I met many innovators developing sustainable solutions with real impact.
What fascinates me is how unknown or underestimated many of these solutions still are when it comes to reducing the environmental footprint of both construction and the daily operation of a home. Bringing these cutting-edge innovations to a place like Huatulco feels both meaningful and necessary.
Why choose Huatulco to create and develop ALMA? Frédéric: Before deciding to live in Mexico, we spent eighteen months traveling extensively throughout Asia. Time and again, we encountered places that were saturated, polluted, or developed without restraint. We’ve felt despair on beaches covered in plastic, frustration in resorts built in tropical climates with no consideration for shade or natural airflow. We’ve witnessed deforestation for palm oil, untreated sewage into pristine rivers, and absurd contradictions like indoor skiing in the desert. All of this pushed us to look for a place with a genuinely sustainable DNA — not just on paper, but reflected in daily decisions.
When we discovered Huatulco in 2020, along with the long-term federal vision behind its development beginning in the 1980s, it felt different. In many ways, Huatulco was ahead of its time. And while continued investment in innovation will be necessary for Huatulco to maintain its commitments, we genuinely want to be part of this positive movement.
