Quinta Mazatlan
Location: McAllen, TX
- General Contractor: SpawGlass Construction
- Architect: Megamorphosis Design
- Tile Artisans: Uriarte Talavera (Puebla, Mexico)
- Square Footage: Two murals (30x9 tiles & 15x10 tiles)
- Products: Hand-painted Talavera ceramic tiles
Quinta Mazatlan, a historic estate turned nature sanctuary in McAllen, serves as an internationally recognized center connecting people to the natural world. When this cherished environmental education hub needed custom hand-painted tile murals, Intertech coordinated with renowned tile artisans Uriarte Talavera in Puebla, Mexico to create artwork that celebrates the region's unique ecosystem and cultural heritage.
DESCRIPTION
Quinta Mazatlan is cherished locally and recognized internationally as a sanctuary advancing environmental education, eco-tourism and conservation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Located in a region where over 95% of the Tamaulipan Brushlands (or Tamaulipan Mezquital) have been converted to agriculture and urban use, the sanctuary works to "bring nature home" and build stronger connections between people and the environment.
This project featured two custom hand-painted Talavera tile murals that complement the historic architecture's existing hand-painted tile exterior. The blue mural (30x9 tiles) depicts the Quinta's distinctive architecture, while the map mural (15x10 tiles) traces the journey from Mexico to the Rio Grande River to Colorado, featuring native wildlife including ocelots, birds, turtles, fish and cacti that represent the Tamaulipan Brushland ecosystem.
Intertech served as the go-between, coordinating design iterations between SpawGlass Construction, architect Megamorphosis Design and tile artisans Uriarte Talavera. After 4-5 design iterations and 12 weeks of manufacturing in Puebla, Mexico, Intertech's team installed these one-of-a-kind ceramic tile murals that celebrate the region's natural beauty and cultural heritage.
