Architecture Wednesday: Studio House

Located near the Uvita town in Costa Rica, Studio House is a private villa situated on the same site as Achioté—a group short-term rental villas—and is perched on a south-facing slope above the Pacific; an ideal setting for both adventurous vacations and everyday living. The house presents as a minimalist volume, with rammed earth walls punctuated by large openings for sliding glass panels through which the home opens into the surrounding jungle.

More than half of the two-level villa’s footprint consists of terraces and a pool. The main living area upstairs is fully open to the ocean and is really just a covered terrace. A levitating platform leads to the main entrance and also serves as a roof over the downstairs bathroom. Passing through the living area and kitchen is a terrace with built-in grill and from there a steel staircase descends to the pool while another leads to the rooftop terrace.

The upper-level living area is a single open space, anchored by a four-meter concrete kitchen island with a wall of cabinetry; the living area faces the sea with a generous deck upon which to enjoy the views and the stars at night. At the rear, a spacious laundry room and utility space occupy the windowless section while a sunlit hallway leads to two smaller bedrooms, a bathroom alcove, and a toilet. Though compact, the bedrooms can be accessed from the pool and enjoy expansive views beyond the ocean; the bathroom also has direct pool access and offers an ocean view straight from the shower.

The home’s earthy palette resonates with the surrounding greenery. Wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness, is reflected in the selected materials, whose aging and transformation over time are embraced as a path toward a new vision of natural elegance.

It is rich yet simple, striking yet minimalist … a perfect home away from it all.

Amazing Architecture