The “Esquina Verde” project was conceived as a house that could eventually evolve into a rental lodge for tourists and explorers, who constantly visit the area because of it`s tropical rain forests and beautiful beaches, next to Cahuita National Park, in Limon.

Known for heavy rains and high humidity most part of the year, the Caribbean side of the country host wide variety of animals, including insects and snakes to be accounted into the design of the project. Separating the structure from the ground, overhangs all around and open floor concept were took in consideration for this.

Houses in the Caribbean side were original constructed on wood piles, way above ground and animals, where breeze flows freely beneath the structure to keep it cool under the hot sun, but mainly constructed like this because of fast flooding’s caused by heavy rains and flat topography.

For the steel frame we used a prefabricated Gussette bolted system, prebaricated near the city, with specialized workforce and materials it’s a perfect solution for tridimensional modularity in difficult places. One of the principal benefits is the optimization of ensemble costs on site which are greatly reduced.

Ship paint was applied to the structure for a heavy duty finish, with a much longer life span and just a once a year wash to remove dust from it.  Palm overhangs were constructed and instaled by local aboriginal people.

Sliding doors all around the spaces gives the user the option to open it all up for fresh air and breeze to flow, overhangs all around the perimeter decks enables the use of all the house, both under heavy sun or rain.

For this particular project the client saved the wood of a hundred year old house that was being demolished, wood from the United States original brought to build workers houses of the banana plantations.

Material Used:

1. Gussette-Steel Frame

2. Recycled wood

3. Plydeck-Deck Floor