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Location:  Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Year: 2024
Area: 250 m2
Photographer: Andres García Lachner

Located on the coast of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Dolce far niente house is set in a privileged natural environment, surrounded by lush vegetation and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. This region, known for its striking landscapes that blend mountains and sea, creates a serene atmosphere where tranquility and connection with nature are essential. The house’s strategic location not only maximizes the benefits of the tropical climate but also harmoniously integrates the project with its surroundings, respecting the topography and local biodiversity.

The architecture of the house is characterized by simple and functional lines, showcasing a minimalist composition that prioritizes comfort and efficiency. The use of local materials, such as natural stone, reflects a conscious and sustainable approach, in dialogue with the surrounding nature. This material, in addition to visually blending with the landscape, plays a key role in the house’s climate regulation, providing protection from the heat and offering coolness. The layout of the spaces was also designed with a passive approach to optimize natural ventilation, reducing the need for mechanical solutions.

One of the most iconic elements of the house is the large stone wall that shields it from the sun. This wall, with its robust texture and rustic finish, forms a central axis in the design, fluidly separating private and social spaces. The roof, with its wide eaves, extends protection from tropical rains and sunlight, while allowing fresh breezes to flow through and ensuring that the sea views remain a focal point from every corner of the house. This balance between protection and openness creates a restful atmosphere that invites contemplation.

The project not only offers a modern refuge in the midst of nature but also embodies a conscious way of living, where architecture responds to the environment without imposing upon it. Every design decision seeks to integrate with the land, the climate, and the views, fostering a constant dialogue between the building and the landscape. The result is a space of peace and balance, where luxury lies in simplicity and in an intimate connection with the surroundings.

Location: Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Project Year: 2023
Area:  253m2
Photographer: Andrés Garcia Lachner

Located in San José, Costa Rica, Casa Patio is a tribute to the traditional colonial design where the houses open to the interior courtyard and the common areas surround it.  

The volumetry is created from the separation of two volumes that house the public and private program, united by a central courtyard, hence its name. Thanks to this approach, the residence manages to insert itself into the existing vegetation and explores the typology of the courtyard-house. The layout also allows the residents to inhabit the spaces with complete independence, as a perimeter corridor connects the different areas.   

The project proposes the opening at all times to the central courtyard designed with native species, the characteristic door-window present around the perimeter of the courtyard frame the view from inside the volumes, making the courtyard the soul of the house; this connection given by the large windows promotes cross ventilation in all rooms and the use of natural light. The choice of color palette and materiality make vegetation the main element in the overall composition of the house. Its white walls make the spaces better lit and this is reflected in lower electricity consumption, this added to other passive strategies such as the collection and storage of rainwater for later irrigation of the gardens and the use of local materials and labor for the design of furniture make casa patio another example of the search for sustainable architecture influenced by local vernacular architecture.  

“We like architecture to reveal itself in the unique and congruent solutions to the specific conditions of each project, and that these can contribute in terms of place, context, user and our own architectural concerns.”  

The courtyard permeates all the rooms of the house with the intention that the vegetation takes over, in search of a quiet, restorative and serene refuge.