Tropical Beach House | Smith House | Limon | Costa Rica | Benjamin Garcia Saxe

This beach house for Tom and Annie Smith is located less than 100 meters from the Caribbean Sea and surrounded by a lush tropical rainforest. They wished to provide a view to the ocean from every space in the house while also integrating the large trees in the forest around them. The house was then placed longitudinally along the beachfront dividing the private (bedrooms) and public spaces (living, dining, and kitchen) with the entrance. A corridor along the back acts as the umbilical cord for all the spaces while providing a very open view to the forest.......more

The Lalonde family House | Guanacaste | Costa Rica | Benjamin Garcia Saxe

The Lalonde family owned a property close to the Pacific Ocean, but it was surrounded by houses on three sides. They wished to have a home were they could all see the ocean from their bedrooms with an intimate family room in between. The house was then split in two floors, the second dedicated to these private spaces which would in turn lead into a terrace that views the ocean. The entire house was also orientated in an open V shape in order to squeeze a view through the neighboring properties and into the horizon. This geometry allowed for a pool and play area to be safely guarded between the two wings of the V on the first floor, thus creating a captured external garden that integrates completely with the public activities of the large open space of the kitchen, dining and living........more

Casa Torcida | Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica | SPG Architects

SPG Architects transformed an abandoned steel frame and concrete slab structure into a five-level, 18000 SF, indoor-outdoor residence on a rain-forested mountainside overlooking the Golfo Dulce. The house is environmentally sensitive, technologically advanced, and modernist by design. A flexible building perimeter provides a seamless flow from inside to out that completely blends the built environment with the natural setting and the spectacular views. The house is energy self-sufficient - appliances and lighting were chosen for low power consumption that is sourced by photovoltaic cells on the roof. Solar hot water panels provide domestic hot water. Maximizing cross ventilation and ample overhangs have eliminated the need for air conditioning in this year-round tropical climate. As a result, this house is an indigenous yet distinctly modern piece of architecture.......more

E-Lots Houses | Papagayo Bay | Costa Rica | Zurcher

E-LOTS

location:Guanacaste Peninsula Papagayo_
area :600 m2 each
construction date:2004

Private residences with view to the Papagayo bay.......more

ROBLESARQ | Iseami House | San Jose, Costa Rica

The house is the first stage of the ISEAMI institute (Institute of sustainability, ecology, art, mind and investigation). The house is the main area of the institute, therefore, it’s design will serve as a multifunctional place in order to host activities as Investigation, meditation, training, Yoga and joy at the terrace located in the first level. At the same time, the Institute director will habit the house on the second level. This way, possible functions are maximized on the smallest possible area.
The materials for the house were selected following the results given by an investigation process done to the existing project near the site. This way we took the results and then decide which were the best materials to use in order to create a low maintenance project. All the proposed materials were tested in order to evaluate its behavior on the difficult environment that the Osa peninsula has because of its humidity, high percentage of rain, mould, fungi and its flora and fauna. The structural and electro mechanic design has been inspired on an exo-skeleton insect, this way the creation of open spaces between walls and ceilings are eliminated, creating a benefit for the indoor air quality because we avoid the creation of mould and plagues common in the projects around.....more