Press Realease Casa Flotanta January 2014
HOUSE OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC OCEAN, BUILT WITH MODULAR ELEMENTS ON PILOTIS, TO INTERFERE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE ON THE BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT BGS_Outside_2 The Gooden-Nahome family wanted to create a home on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and they found an incredible site overlooking the ocean. The biggest challenge we encountered was that their plot of land was predominantly comprised of a very steep slope, and the view of the ocean could only be seen from the upper-mid portion of the site. We saw this as an opportunity rather than a constraint and immediately considered an architectural response that was appropriate for these conditions.originally, we explored possibilities of creating large retaining walls and cutting back the soil in order to place the house, a technique typically employed for nearby buildings. Location: Santa Teresa,Costa Rica Date of Completion: 2013 Client: Gooden-Nahome Family Area: Aprox. 300m2 Architecture Team: Studio Saxe Design Director: Benjamin García Saxe Project Architect: Benjamin García Saxe Project Coordinator: Daniel Sancho Ingeniero Estructural: Sotela Alfaro Ltda. Architectural Visualizer: Roger Navarro Structural Engineer: Sotela Alfaro Ltda Builder: Dante Medri
BGS_Outside_1 Ultimately, we decided to do the exact opposite and therefore allow the slope, the earth, the vegetation, water, and animals to flow underneath the house. We essentially lifted the house up into the air on a series of piloti which gives the impression that it is floating above the hillside. By doing this we saved the immense cost of creating soil retention walls around the site. This common sense solution allowed us to create a very delicate intervention, one that allows the terrain to breathe whilst providing spectacular views out towards the ocean from the key location on the site. BGS_Outside_3
BGS_Terrace_1 BGS_Outside_4 BGS_Terrace_3 Architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe said: - We essentially lifted the house up into the air on a series of piloti which gives the impression that it is floating above the hillside.
BGS_Circulation_1 About Studio Saxe BGS_Terrace_3 Benjamin Garcia Saxe set up his own practice in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2004, with the aim of exploring our relationship with the natural environment through architecture. Since then, Studio Saxe has grown into an award-winning international practice made up of a multidisciplinary team, creating buildings and spaces by blending technological innovation with handcrafted techniques to form truly sustainable designs. Founded on the belief that buildings must connect to their landscape whether a tropical paradise or a concrete jungle Studio Saxe brings a global attitude to solve local problems. Ideas and techniques from around the world can be harnessed to benefit communities, both at home and abroad. Local traditions and identities are explored and developed, ensuring a process whereby we learn from the past and build for the future.
BGS_Diagram_1 BGS_Bedroom_2 BGS_Diagram_2 BGS_CIrculation_3 BGS_Diagram_2 The dedicated architects and designers at Studio Saxe uncover new design solutions for every project, treating each building as an opportunity to improve methods and approaches, responding to specific places. Working alongside clients and collaborators, the studio continually seeks new forms and functions that blur the boundaries between natural habitats and inhabited space. BGS_Living_3
Latin America Costa Rica PO Box 206-1225 San Jose T: +506 4030 6053 Europe United Kingdom Oce 9910 PO Box 6945 London W1A 6US T: +44 (0) 20 8144 2721 General Enquiries info@studiosaxe.com