Costa Rica lookout

A young family purchased a plot overlooking Santa Teresa Beach, Costa Rica with two breath-taking views: towards the ocean and into the jungle. Benjamin Garcia Architects decided to rest the house against the back of the steep hill of the site in order to stabilize the soil and protect the house from falling debris.

The house then transitions from a more solid and intimate construction at the back that holds bedrooms and bathrooms, towards a light-weight and ephemeral structure that points towards the ocean and jungle views.

The result is a series of interwoven terraces that relate to each other in all dimensions creating not only an internal dynamic interaction between levels but also relationships between the inhabitants and the natural landscape. In these interstitial terrace spaces, which are never truly inside or out, architecture comes to foster a relationship, enjoyment, and appreciation of the natural world by the inhabitants.