Luis Barragan’s memories of the apocryphal pueblo of his youth

“My earliest childhood memories are related to a ranch my family owned near the village of Mazamitla. It was a pueblo with hills, formed by houses with tile roofs and immense eaves to shield the passersby from the heavy rains which fall in that area. Even the earth’s color was interesting because, it was red earth. In this village, the water distribution system consisted of great gutted logs, in the form of troughs, which ran on a support structure of tree forks, 5 meters high, above the roofs. This aqueduct crossed over the town, reaching the patios, where there were stone fountains to receive the water. The patios housed the stables, with cows and chickens all together. Outside, in the street, there were iron rings to tie the horses. The channeled logs, covered with moss, dripped water all over town, of course, it gave this village an ambience of a fairytale. No. There are no photographs. I have only its memory”.
(Luis Barragan, Mexican architect)

[From: Kenneth Frampton. Modern Architecture: A critical history. London: Thames and Hudson. 1985. 2nd Edition]