Located in Ojochal, Costa Rica, at the edge of a large tropical rain forest, the multi-disciplinary firm of A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) designed a prefabricated home that would respond to its local environment by exclusively using passive climate control.

The concept for the design is based on the ideas of replicability, sustainability, and an overall low environmental impact in both construction and continued use. Based in Costa Rica and the Netherlands, A-01 designed the house in Ojochal as a prototype for serial production, “based on a larger toolbox of residential typologies,” says the firm.

In essence, the home consists of a double-layer facade: an inner glass box within a larger louvered box that is open to the environment; bedrooms are contained within the glass box and can be closed off from the rest of the home, which is otherwise open to the outdoors with louvered walls backed with mosquito netting.

These louvered walls can fold up to create a large open wall and act as an awning, or remain down to allow breezes to pass through the voids in between slats and passively cool the home. As A-01 explains, they serve the function of “regulating views and exposure, augmenting or reducing air flow, and increasing privacy and security” as desired.

This idea of efficiency and sustainability led to the organization of the home around a central service core, allowing space to be used economically and constructed easily. The core contains mechanical equipment, machinery, closets, and plumbing-heavy spaces like a laundry area, bathrooms, and the kitchen. By compacting these spaces, the rest of the home is freed up for living, dining, and sleeping spaces.

Throughout the home, each room’s built-in furniture are prefabricated and then “plugged into” the residence. Finishes are simple, ranging from plain white kitchen cabinets to wood shelving and furniture.

The home’s form is based on daylight and precipitation studies, with the roof at a dramatic angle so that it sheds water and efficiently shades the building. The floor is elevated above the ground, helping it to better capture breezes and avoid potential flooding. The louvered exterior walls are also angled, providing better solar shading.

The home was prefabricated in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, and then transported to the site on a single truck over the course of one night. As a prototype, A-01 plans to let clients “choose from a larger catalogue of pre-selected components for sustainable construction.”

By considering efficient building design, construction, and logistics, they seek to offer their homes at an affordable price point, and have already developed several potential options for interested parties. Their goal is “integral sustainability in terms of its environmental, economic, social, and spatial performance.”

Related Reading:

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Project Credits

Lead architect: Oliver Schütte / A-01
Design team: José Pablo González, Mauricio Rodríguez, Misael Rodríguez, Ronald Carvajal Soto / A-01
Typology research: Marije van Lidth de Jeude / A-01
MEP engineering: Pablo Mora / Consost
Structural engineering: Rafael Cañas / Ingeniería Cañas
Construction: Hernán Mora / SLO Studiolocal
Photography: Fernando Alda / Fernando Alda Fotografía

Appears In

This “No Footprint” Prefab Embraces Tropical Modernism and Sustainable Design