Connected pods define Studio Saxe's Costa Rican jungle retreat
Costa Rica-based architects Studio Saxe create a holiday retreat that is at one with its surroundings in the country's beachside town of Santa Teresa
This beachfront Costa Rican house in Santa Teresa was designed in the context of the jungle around it. Its architect, locally based Studio Saxe, made the most of the house's natural location and the region's warm climate to create a holiday house that is open to its surroundings and becomes the perfect retreat.
The home, named Sirena House, is structured around a series of ‘pavilions'. These host the various residential functions and offer all mod cons. At the same time, they appear light and transparent, designed under a slim roof canopy held up by delicate steel columns that resemble tree trunks and blend easily into the green scenery.
Individual timber-clad pods beneath the horizontal roofs enclose each bedroom suite in a consistent, cocooning environment. Views are orientated towards the greenery and nearby sea, while floor-to-ceiling openings can unite the interior with the outdoors completely when drawn back.
The main living spaces at this Costa Rican house are contained in a similar, but much larger, open-plan pod. Again, the glass expanses can slide open to unite indoors and outdoors. As a result, the long roof appears as if floating. At the same time, wide terraces ensure there is always the option of al fresco seating and entertaining, regardless of the window configuration.
Sustainability features include careful design of the pods and openings to ensure natural cross-ventilation is always promoted; long ceiling overhangs to encourage natural shading and cooling; rainwater catchment, water recycling and alternative energy generation systems. This means that this idyllic getaway is not only at one with its tropical environment but also helps to protect it.
INFORMATION
studiosaxe.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
JW Anderson and Pleasing design a balloon-inspired collection of nail polishes and more
JW Anderson and Pleasing launch an uplifting new capsule collection featuring balloon-inspired metallic nail polishes and a take on the viral rainbow cardigan
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Bottega Veneta drafts Venetian artisans for its unique ‘Bottega for Bottegas’ project, a gift list of local craft
Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta has sought out six craftspeople from in and around Venice to create precious objects – from playing cards to jigsaw puzzles – which arrive just in time for festive gift-giving
By Jack Moss Published
-
Agnès Varda, Luca Guadagnino and Wim Wenders: why Aesop’s love affair with cinema is more than skin-deep
Aesop’s new 2024 Christmas campaign celebrates its long love affair with cinema. Laura Havlin speaks with the brand’s head of global store design Marianne Lardilleux to discover why film is inherent to its DNA
By Laura Havlin Published
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneer
Back in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalism
From modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Extraordinary escapes: where would you like to be?
Peruse and lose yourself in these extraordinary escapes; there's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than a healthy dose of daydreaming
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Year in review: top 10 houses of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* architecture editor Ellie Stathaki
Wallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki reveals her top 10 houses of 2022 – from modernist reinventions to urban extensions and idyllic retreats
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Roz Barr’s terrace house extension is a minimalist reimagining
Terrace house extension by Roz Barr Architects transforms Victorian London home through pared-down elegance
By Nick Compton Published
-
Tree View House blends warm modernism and nature
North London's Tree View House by Neil Dusheiko Architects draws on Delhi and California living
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Maison de Verre: a dramatic glass house in France by Studio Odile Decq
Maison de Verre in Carantec is a glass box with a difference, housing a calming interior with a science fiction edge
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Modernist Coromandel farmhouse refreshed by Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+Partner
An iconic Coromandel farmhouse is being reimagined by the South African architectural collaborative of Frankie Pappas, Mayat Hart and Thomashoff+Partner
By Nick Compton Last updated