design et al are delighted to announce the successful shortlist for Sarco Architects Costa Rica for the Beach House Award in the ID&A Awards 2014.
This home is situated in the country’s premiere luxury real estate destination, the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo Resort. 
The intention from the client was to design a home that would offer luxurious accomodation providing ocean views with immediate contact with the surrounding jungle and nature. This in turn was to offer all of the amenities and features akin to a luxury residence but within a reasonable budget. The home was also required to have extensive outdoor areas to enjoy the tropical climate and should somehow figure a way to situate a swimming pool within the steep slope of the property.
The challenging terrain, the slope, and the narrow available building envelope of the property combined to produce a design that was able to solve the needs of the design brief, and to give the home a singular identity and architectural language. Several elements that were used in order to find compliance with the strict design guidelines and their height restrictions, became a design motif for the project while at the same time work as elements to further improve the home’s shading, maximizing the use of outdoor spaces and increasing the home’s energy efficiency.
This home was a balance between the assigned building envelope, height restrictions, and desired elevation from where the house could sit without losing the ocean views. Ultimately this home would allow its owners to enjoy the large outdoor living areas around the pool, which, with its swim lane that would enter and becomes part of the covered outdoor living space, give the home a very particular and enjoyable experience.
