A zero-waste approach was the starting point for the creation of Baldío restaurant in Mexico City, with the values of circularity and sustainability shaping both the architecture and the culinary experience. Many of the space’s unique elements were designed following a practical circular logic, resulting from the synergies developed between Locus* architects and the technical companies involved.
Baldío is a restaurant in Mexico City built around a “zero waste” approach to both production and consumption; this idea has guided every architectural decision to create a project aligned with its core values of sustainability and circularity.
Designed by the firm Locus, the space incorporates responsible practices at every level—from architecture and furniture made with recycled materials to a culinary concept that prioritizes local, seasonal, and low-impact ingredients.
Every decision—whether aesthetic, operational, or gastronomic—has been made to create a mindful experience that not only celebrates good food but also honors natural resources and the urban environment.
This comprehensive and authentic approach earned Baldío the Green Star by the Michelin Guide, a recognition that highlights its outstanding commitment to sustainability.
The restaurant floor was completely renovated. Composed of a mix of dark concrete and small pieces of wood, based on the Terrazzo principle, it is the fruit of research into the best way to reduce the use of mining minerals.
The wood is the same as that used by the Arca Tierra farm to cover its fields.
The central elements of the restaurant, such as the bar and washbasins, were all designed using the same process, in a mixture of clear concrete and straw.
They were manufactured by Muebles de Concreto, a company that regularly works with Locus* to find new areas of experimentation in recycling and reducing the environmental footprint of concrete.
The lamps were made by the Nuumbra workshop, in collaboration with Locus*.
They are made entirely from recycled copper from the Michoacan region, famous for its metalworking workshops.
The entire collection of luminaires is thus the result of the recovery of production waste from other objects, in a process of circularity.
Finally, the restaurant’s furniture, such as chairs and tables, were also produced with reuse in mind. Thanks to the collaboration between Locus* and Taller Nacional, the furniture is made from solid wood, half of which comes from the workshop’s scrap wood.
In order to do so, the production had to be made with different types of wood, such as pine, holm oak, oak, teak and parota.
Drawings
Facts & Credits
Title Baldío
Typology Architecture, Restaurant
Location Mexico City, Mexico
Status Completed, 2024
Architecture Locus*
Team Santiago Sitten, Lucia Pells, Eduardo Silva
Lighting Locus X Estudio Nuumbra
Floor, Bars & Sinks Locus X MDC
Furniture Locus X Taller Nacional
Landscaping Arca Tierra
Textile design Michelle Cortina
Textile Production Maison Mani
Photography Alejandro Ramirez Orozco
Text by the authors
READ ALSO: MEDITERRANEAN LIVING // Estancia San Jose in Menorca: an old farmhouse renovated with respect for the site and its history | by Atelier du Pont