Architecture Wednesday: Casa Flotanta

A family wanted a home on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and found an incredible site overlooking the ocean. Trouble was, it was a steep slope, and the ocean views were captured only at the mid-to-upper portion of the site. So, the architects thought about creating large retaining walls and cutting back the soil in order to place the house to capture the best views, but in the end decided to do the exact opposite.

They allowed the slope, the earth, the vegetation, water, and animals to flow underneath the house by "floating" the house in the air; by doing so they managed to save on the immense cost of creating soil retention walls around the site. 

The house is created out of modules that are repetitive and linked by flying bridges that hover over the landscape. As the house had to be built on a steep slope, many of the pieces were prefabricated and craned up to position. This repetition of living modules can continue to grow and be added to in time.

The result is a home that floats above the earth, allows for its natural environment to continue to grow and change, and captures an astounding ocean view.

I feel like I need to step onto that porch with a margarita and take a long siesta.

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