Casa Flotanta, Puntarenas Residence, Costa Rica Property, Home Images, Building, Architect

Casa Flotanta, Costa Rica

New Residential Project in Central America – design by Benjamin Garcia Saxe architects

7 Sep 2016 + 19 Jun 2015

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Design: Benjamin Garcia Saxe architects

Location: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Floating on Earth

The Gooden-Nahome family wanted to create their family home on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and found an incredible site overlooking the ocean for Casa Flotanta.

Casa Flotanta

The biggest constraint we encountered was that the site was predominantly on a very steep slope, and the view of the ocean was captured only at the mid-upper portion of the site.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

We saw this not as a negative aspect but rather saw an opportunity of exploring together an architecture that was appropriate for this kind of conditions. Together we explored possibilities of creating large retaining walls and cutting back the soil in order to place the house, a technique used by most houses around the area.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Ultimately, we decided to do the exact OPPOSITE and actually allow the slope, the earth, the vegetation, water, and animals to flow underneath the house. We then floated the house up in the air and by doing this we managed to save on the immense cost of creating soil retention walls around the site.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

This almost common sense and obvious decision created a very light touch intervention that allows the terrain to breathe whilst providing a spectacular view to the ocean from the key location on the site.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

The house is created out of modules that are repetitive and linked by flying bridges that hover over the landscape. As the house had to be built on a steep slope, many of the pieces were prefabricated and craned up to position.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

We not only standardized a repetition of living modules which can continue to grow and be added in time, but also created a repetition of the primary structural elements in order to ease the time and effort of construction. The result is that of a home that floats above the earth, allows for its natural environment to continue to grow and change, and captures an astounding ocean view. For us it is a great pleasure to know that with common sense, creativity, and clever engineering, we managed to create a unique home in a seemingly impossible location.

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas – Building Information

Location: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Date of Completion: November, 2013
Client: Gooden-Nahome Family
Area: Aprox. 300sqm

Casa Flotanta Casa Flotanta

Architecture Team:
Design Director: Benjamin Garcia Saxe
Project Coordinator: Daniel Sancho
Design Development: Soki So
Construction Documentation: Roger Navarro
Structural Engineer: Sotela Alfaro Ltd
Builder: Dante Medri

Casa Flotanta

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas images/ information from Benjamin Garcia Saxe

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Casa Flotanta in Puntarenas

Location: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

New Architecture in Costa Rica

Contemporary Costa Rican Architectural Projects

Costa Rica Architecture Designs – chronological list

Costa Rica Building News

Costa Rican Architecture

CasaAltamira
Casa Altamira Costa Rica
photo : Rodrigo Montoya / Joan Puigcorbé

A recent Costa Rican house design:

Containers of Hope, San Jose
Design: Benjamin Garcia Saxe Architecture
Costa Rican House
photo : Andres Garcia Lachner
Costa Rica Home

American Architecture

Costa Rican house designs:

Iseami House
Design: RoblesArq
Iseami House
photo from RoblesArq architects
Costa Rican House

A Forest for a Moon Dazzler
Costa Rican House
photo : Benjamin Garcia Saxe
A Forest for a Moon Dazzler

Mexican Architecture

Panama Building

Contemporary House Designs
Australian Beach House
photo : Scott Burrows

Modern Architects

Comments / photos for the Casa Flotanta in PuntarenasCosta Rican Property page welcome

Website : Benjamin Garcia Saxe