Category: planning_&_urban_design

Location: Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica 
Year: 2017
Area: 164 Ha


Monte de Oración is an holistic wellness complex located in Atenas, Costa Rica. The area is mostly known for its agriculture, with coffee and sugarcane as the main crops. It also offers diverse touristic activities such as wildlife tours, hiking, sight-seeing, coffee tasting and several waterfalls.  Atenas is considered to have one the best climates in the world with average temperatures in the mid 21°C year-round.

The site consists of 164 ha or roughly 1,640,000 m2. It has an irregular topography and 76% of the area is preserved for conservation. Because of the size of the project, several large-scale aspects are considered and integrated, such as water, energy and waste management as well as agriculture, commerce, leisure, hopitality, housing and spiritual wellness. There is only one access point on the easternmost side of the terrain and several internal roads leading to each programatic cluster.

The project consists of over 35 different programatic typologies. These are organized and grouped into 4 main clusters: Spiritual health and wellness, Hospitality and residential, Arts and culture, and Retail, entertainment, workplace & convention centers. Each cluster is layed out in the terrain ranging from most public to most private. Different organizational schemes are used. These include circuits, nodes, grids, neighbourhoods, and varying circulation methods depending on the program whilst the overall project is a combination of all.

Location: Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica
Year: 2017
Area: 70,608 m2

La Caraña is an equestrian facility located in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. It has been operating since 1969, when it became the country’s first equestrian club.

The site has two main entries. The first one acts as the general entry point for club members and is located in the northern side of the property. It connects with Ruta 27, one of the country’s busiest highways. The second entry is located near a residential area in the southern side of the property.

For the proposal, activities carried out within La Caraña are classified into three groups: equestrian, club and commercial. Sub-categories within these groups are organized and spatial relationships are established. Once the program is set, the existing building structures are studied to determine which are maintained and which are re-built or moved to another location.

Each of the three main blocks are assigned an area in the corners of the site. The central area of the property remains as common space. Clusters, bands and nodes are used to create relationships between architectural elements, circulation and green areas. In doing so, a series of circuits are created so that users may navigate the project freely. Articulating nodes connect these circuits and integrate all of the project’s programs.