Joey McCune and Mitch Moore’s design journey in the Yucatán led to the creation of a unique wellness sanctuary blending architecture and nature.
From Seattle to the Yucatán: A Transformative Move
When Joey McCune and Mitch Moore left Seattle for the Yucatán Peninsula, it was not for a seasonal escape. It was a decisive reinvention. With a background deeply rooted in luxury property development, spatial design, and experiential living, Joey had long been immersed in the art of how environments shape human experience. Her husband, Mitch Moore, an award-winning design build contractor from Seattle, spent decades constructing refined residences defined by structural integrity and architectural clarity.
Together they understood space. They understood craftsmanship. They understood how design shapes experience. What they did not know was how profoundly the jungle would reshape them.
Adapting to the Yucatán Jungle
Relocating from Seattle to the Yucatán jungle outside of Tulum required far more than changing scenery. It meant learning a new building culture, adapting to tropical climate demands, navigating construction in limestone terrain, and collaborating within a completely different regulatory system. Materials expand differently in humidity. Concrete cures differently in intense heat. Jungle growth moves quickly and reclaims what is not respected.
Rather than impose a Pacific Northwest aesthetic onto Mexico, Joey and Mitch chose to study the land first. They were designed for airflow before air conditioning. They positioned structures to honor light patterns and seasonal rains. They selected materials capable of withstanding salt air and tropical moisture while still feeling elevated and refined. The entire property operates on a state-of-the-art solar system, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability and long-term stewardship of the land.
Designing a Sanctuary: Sound Healing Tulum
The result is not an American transplant. It is a thoughtful fusion of precision and wildness.
At the heart of their creation is Sound Healing Tulum, a private wellness sanctuary centered around a 66 million-year-old cave and cenote formed by the meteorite impact that shaped the Yucatán Peninsula. Instead of concealing the raw power of the limestone cavern, they made it the architectural focal point. The cave is not a backdrop. It is the foundation.
Architecture Meets Nature: Glass-Encased Sound Temple
Above ground, a glass-encased sound temple rises quietly from the trees, engineered for acoustics and resonance. The structure was designed to hold vibration and amplify sound clarity with precision. Every angle was considered. Every material was selected for both durability and energetic sensitivity. The architecture feels minimal yet intentional, allowing the jungle canopy to remain visually dominant.
Private Events and Wellness: Cenote Sagrado Events
An integral arm of Sound Healing Tulum is Cenote Sagrado Events, which offers the cave, on-site restaurant, and jungle lounge as a private event experience. Unlike anything else in the region, weddings and intimate gatherings unfold inside a candlelit cavern where ancient stone formations act as natural sculpture. Lighting is curated to enhance texture rather than overpower it. The design frames the environment instead of competing with it.
Recognized for Excellence in Design
The remarkable vision of Joey McCune and Mitch Moore has not gone unnoticed. Joey has recently been honored as the “Best Innovative Business Woman in Mexico of 2025” by EvergreenAwards.com, a prestigious and exclusive authority in the industry. Additionally, Mitch and Joey’s architectural brilliance has earned the duo the “Best Architecture & Design in Mexico of 2025” award, recognized by BestofBestReview.com. These accolades highlight their exceptional craftsmanship and innovative approach to design that respects both the environment and the people who experience it.
Designing with Purpose: Joey’s Quantum Design Aesthetic
For Joey, space has always been intuitive. She studies how people enter a space, where they pause, and how environments can be curated to feel both expansive and grounded. She approaches each project through what she calls a quantum design aesthetic, blending indoor and outdoor living so that guests remain in relationship with nature rather than separated from it. In Mexico, that sensitivity deepened into reverence. The environment demanded it.
Engineering the Vision: Mitch’s Role in Construction
Mitch translated vision into structure. Building in the jungle requires patience and engineering discipline. Foundations must respect limestone formations. Drainage must anticipate tropical storms. Electrical systems must perform reliably in persistent humidity. His decades of experience ensured that beauty never compromised safety or longevity. Together they embraced an indoor-outdoor fusion that allows guests to feel immersed in the landscape. The jungle was never cleared to dominate it. It was carefully integrated so that nature remains the focal point of every design decision.
Sustainability at the Core
Sustainability guided the build. Naturally fallen timber from hurricanes was repurposed wherever possible. Existing rock, soil, and stone were reused and reformed rather than removed. Concrete and structural elements were designed with minimal disruption to the terrain. The intention was preservation with presence, building with the least resistance to the land.
The Evolution of Sound Healing Tulum
What emerged is global yet rooted. Refined yet elemental. Contemporary yet ancient. Today the sanctuary has hosted intimate ceremonies, private gatherings, and international guests seeking something rare. The property feels immersive without being excessive. Every pathway, every platform, every architectural line was placed with intention.
A Collaboration Between Builders, Marriage, and Land
Their story is not simply about relocation. It is about evolution. An American design build duo from Seattle stepped into unfamiliar terrain and built a sanctuary around a 66-million-year-old cave and cenote. They did not attempt to dominate the jungle. They listened to it.
In doing so, they created a space where architecture honors geology, where glass meets limestone, and where design becomes a bridge between cultures. It is not merely a property in Tulum. It is a collaboration between two builders, a marriage, and the land itself.
To learn more and book a private experience, visit www.soundhealingtulum.com and follow @soundhealingtulum and @cenotesagradoevents on Instagram.
