Studio Saxe has designed this tropical beach house hideaway located in Santa Teresa, a picturesque beachside town in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. A jungle experience has been integrated into the house while framing views of the ocean. A series of structures with overlapping rooflines invite nature inside.

By breaking up this home’s mass and creating an indoor-outdoor living experience, the architects were able to take advantage of idyllic tropical weather. The architects were able to structure the volumes to house different programs of the project. The pavilions were separated into bedrooms, living spaces, and service areas where they are in harmony with each other and the surrounding environment.

DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECTURE Studio Saxe ELECTROMECHANICAL ENGINEER Dynamo Studio STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Sotela Alfaro Ltda. BUILDER Adrian y Alvarado Empresa Constructora INTERIOR DESIGN Pauline Steenkamer Nosara Design LANDSCAPE Vida Design Studio

Sustainability
The project was conceived as a decomposition of the volumes and this allowed for cross-ventilation due to the exposure of every space to at least 2 or 3 walls to the outside. The extended rooflines are carefully placed to protect from the sun and the rain through a process of bioclimatic design which analyzes the sun patterns, winds, and precipitation to create comfort without the use of energy. An array of sustainable systems such as rainwater catchment, water recycling systems, energy generation, and clever design makes this project a pioneer in sustainable tropical architecture that has passive design at its core.

Construction
The architects were interested in creating the sensation of floating rooflines, thus a series of thin columns support the roof planes in a way that they appear as though they are floating  A mixture of steel and wood construction with a concrete foundation allowed for the lightness of space, and the blurring of boundaries between the structure and the outside.

What We Love: This beach house hideaway provides a tranquil retreat for relaxing with family and friends. Surrounded by a lush jungle environment, this home offers seclusion and a unique living experience. Spaces were designed to maximize indoor-outdoor living, with pavilions harmoniously connected under overlapping rooflines. Overall, we think this would be an amazing place to get away from it all and immerse oneself in nature.

Tell Us: What details do you find most impressive in the overall design of this home? Please share your thoughts in the Comments!

Note: Take a look at another inspiring home tour that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the region of Costa Rica: Coastal chic living on mountainous seaside village in Costa Rica.

PHOTOGRAPHER Andres Garcia Lachner