The property was purchased in 1989, and building started the next year. The family ran a large construction company in Los Angeles and thought the Baja property would become a wonderful vacation spot, a place to get away. Since the family consists of many artistic and talented people, everyone wanted to contribute -- parents, children, friends -- and it quickly became a labor of love. Molds were made for tile and balustrades. There was an in-house woodcarver and furniture maker who made the doors and chests and tables. A shop for cabinetry. A local iron worker fashioned the iron gates and some of the windows. The crew was gathered from one small town in mainland Mexico, and as more were needed, more came. Everyone lived in tents and food was prepared by a local Mexican cook out of an outdoor kitchen attached to a camper. Many of the children “cut their teeth” here, going on to become landscape architects, architects, builders, painters and sculptors, with a real set of experiences to get them started.