Joya Villas in Santa Teresa, Caribbean Building Development, Architecture Images
Joya Villas in Santa Teresa
Large Luxury Real Estate in Costa Rica, Central America ? design by Studio Saxe Architects
13 Feb 2018
Joya Villas
Architects: Studio Saxe
Location: Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Joya Villas

Photos: Andrés García Lachner
Set in the rainforest of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, two modern homes project out of the landscape and are defined by a series of steel frames that that bring the best modern methods of construction to a tropical location. The use of large steel I-beams and concrete is a tenet of the international language of Modernist architecture and Studio Saxe have taken this design approach and recontextualised it for contemporary use. This project is a continuation of their search for an authentic Central American tropical architecture.
The raw materials of steel and concrete are balanced with the careful use of crafted wooden screens and floors, to ensure the design of these rental properties is rooted in local traditions and building techniques. The black metal frames create cantilevered openings that hover over thesocial spaces below, creating a blurred distinction between inside andoutside areas and between private and more communal atmospheres.

Large openings on every level of the building make the building seem lightweight and they connect the inhabitants to the surrounding natural environment. A delicate timber staircase appears to float from one floo...