Casa Aramara Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa rica by SARCO

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Sanjay Gangal
Sanjay Gangal is the President of IBSystems, the parent company of AECCafe.com, MCADCafe, EDACafe.Com, GISCafe.Com, and ShareCG.Com.

Casa Aramara Peninsula Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa rica by SARCO Architects

January 8th, 2024 by Sanjay Gangal

Article source: Monica Montero Castro

Casa Aramara is situated on a steep slope, which presented several challenges in designing this unique home, It also features several sustainable architecture elements that enhance interior comfort and reduce energy needs:

Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

Extensive roof overhangs and wood vertical screens provide shade and significantly limit control solar gain.
Insulated glass windows and doors also reduce the heat in the interior spaces.
Wood screens and siding on the central and bedrooms modules are composite wood materials with high recycled content.
Our design of independent modules reduces the air conditioning needs by 25% compared to other home designs, since most circulation and corridor spaces are outdoor areas.
The air conditioning systems are high-efficiency and has reduced loads thanks to the solar control efforts and high insulation values in the home.

Community/Resort	Peninsula Papagayo
Location	Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Features	Sustainable Elements, Steep Slope Orientation
Completed	2021
Interior Sq. Ft.	515 m2 / 5,540 sq.ft.
Overall Sq. Ft.	1,000 m2 / 10,760 sq.ft.

Casa Aramara is a tropical modern residence, designed to work seamlessly with a very difficult terrain while maximising a casual lifestyle in a home with a focus on transparency, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The home features clean, simple lines, a focus on use of natural materials for feature exterior surfaces.

From the start of the design we knew that given the land’s unique characteristics we wanted to land to speak by itself and let it dictate how the design and layout of the house would be done. Placement of structures would work in hand with the natural contours and we wanted to build the home with minimal intervention and excavation to the land.

As the home adapts to the land, the dramatic slope is best understood by realizing that the home’s roof at the main social module will be hardly seen above the level of the road that passes behind the property.

Seamlessly adapted to the complex site to maximize dramatic views and provide complete privacy

The design was broken up into several modules, and we developed methods to connect and create a flow between those modules, with the modules placed at different levels to work with the undulating terrain and changing elevations.

The different modules are placed in an arrangement that finds a balance between the ideal placement, maximization of views, ensuring the sub-structure does not become excessively tall, and ensuring the overall design stays within the maximum building height restriction. The modules are arranged in a west-east direction, and pivoted in orientation in order to work with the natural shape of the terrain, which also adds interest to provide slightly different view characteristics from each area.

A central module houses the main social spaces and some of the guest sleeping quarters. This main module has an up-down flow where the main entrance of the home and the main social areas are located on the upper level, with sleeping areas below.

While walls of windows welcome in the natural light and stunning views, inside the home, our design and placement of ambient lighting maintains the transparency and uninterrupted flow of the space.

A casual, easy-to-live-with tropical beach home balances peaceful private spaces with room to enjoy with family and friends

The outdoor areas and swimming pool serve as a transition area to the other bedrooms module, which is accessed from the lower level and flow upwards to the master bedroom, which is located at the uppermost point of the entire home.

Our modules design solution also provides “scalability” to the usage of the home, and provides a solution to the extremely steep slopes and complex site. The connection through the open covered outdoor areas and the swimming pool further provides the home with an open, airy, “jungle feel”. The home provides a casual, easy-to-live-with tropical beach home that provides multiple spaces to use for different objectives, from private time and relaxing, to enjoying with family and friends.

Architecture and Construction by SARCO Architects Costa RicaCasa Aramara is a tropical modern residence, designed to work seamlessly with a very difficultterrain and to maximize a casual lifestyle in a home with a focus on transparency, blurring theboundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The home features clean, simple lines, afocus on use of natural materials for feature exterior surfaces.

From the start of the design we knew that given the land’s unique characteristics we wanted toland to speak by itself and let it dictate how the design and layout of the house would be done.Placement of structures would work in hand with the natural contours and we wanted to buildthe home with minimal intervention and excavation to the land.

The biggest challenge on the design was posed by the undulating characteristic of the terrain,which combined by the restriction of the location of the building envelope lines, made it quite difficult to have a flow between spaces at the same level. The design was broken up intoseveral modules, and we developed methods to connect and create a flow between thosemodules, with the modules placed at different levels to work with the undulating terrain andchanging elevations.

A a central module houses the main social spaces and some of the guest sleeping quarters.This main module has an up-down flow where the main entrance of the home and the mainsocial areas are located on the upper level, with sleeping areas below. The outdoor areas andswimming pool serve as a transition area to the other bedrooms module, which is accessedfrom the lower level and flow upwards to the master bedroom, which is located at the uppermostpoint of the entire home.

The different modules are placed in an arrangement that finds a balance between the idealplacement, maximization of views, ensuring the sub-structure does not become excessively tall,and ensuring the overall design stays within the maximum building height restriction. Themodules are arranged in an west-east direction, and they rotate around in order to work with thenatural shape of the terrain, which also adds interest to provide slightly different viewcharacteristics from each area.

The modules solution also provides “scalability” to the usage of the home, and provides asolution to the extremely steep slopes and complex site. The connection through the opencovered outdoor areas and the swimming pool further provides the home with an open, airy,”jungle feel”. The home provides a casual, easy to live with tropical beach home that providesmultiple spaces to use for different objectives, from private time and relaxing, to enjoying withfamily and friends.

As the home adapts to the land, the dramatic slope is best understood by realising that thehome’s roof at the main social module will be hardly seen above the level of the road thatpasses behind the property.

Overall, the design intent was to use materials, finishes and colors that were either natural, orwere inspired on the natural tones from the surrounding colors in nature around the home. Ourfocus was to create a design where the visual impact of the home was minimised, and thatthrough the use of tones and materials, the home would integrate with its surroundings.Our design philosophy of the independent modules reduces the air conditioning needs by 25%compared to other home designs, since most circulation and corridor spaces are outdoor areas.All structures feature extensive roof overhangs to ensure a significant reduction in the solar heatgain in the interior spaces, combined with the vertical wood screens that not only provideprivacy but also reduce the solar heat gain at certain times of the year.

SARCO Architects Costa Rica

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

: Casa Aramara, Costa Rica – SARCO Architects – https://sarcoarchitects.com/ – Image copyright Andres Garcia Lachner – www.garcialachner.com – www.facebook.com/GarciaLachner – instagram: @Garcia_Lachner

www.sarcoarchitects.com

Contact SARCO Architects

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