Location: Rio Jiménez, Limón, Costa Rica
Year: 2017
Area: 1,184 m2 

MAR (Modulos Autosuficientes Rurales) is a proposal for a new school in Rio Jimenez, Costa Rica. Rio Jimenez is located in a remote area near the country’s Caribbean coast. It has limited access to basic public services such as education and health centers. As such, efforts have been made to increase literacy rates within the town’s population.

The project aims to replace the existing education center and double it’s capacity from 400 to 800 students. In order to maximize the building’s effect on the community, it is also designed as a flexible space with multiple programmatic possibilities. Over 20 different configurations can be layed out depending on how the space will be used, including a market place on weekends, a town hall, or an emergency shelter in case of a natural disaster.

Building materials include wood, glass paneling, movable walls, concrete and metal siding. Passive climate control strategies are utilized in order to keep interior spaces cool and naturally ventilated. The building is also equipped to operate off-grid.