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Mazpazz Arquitectur

In the remote mountains of Palmichal de Acosta, Costa Rica, local architect María de la Paz Alice, founder of Mazpazz Arquitectura, designed a 100 percent autonomous and self-sustaining home that frames its lush surroundings with a series of geometric openings. The home’s entrance, which the architect refers to as “the vortex,” takes the form of a poured-concrete cube with two prominent circular cutouts. Crystals encrusted in the floor capture and reflect light that passes from the sun and moon through the overhead oculus.

The home features triple pane aluminum clad wood windows and doors from Ikon, which were about 20% more compared to a traditional double pane quote from Pella. But Douglas notes that the Ikon doors and windows "provide larger free glass areas with fewer mullions paired with multipoint locking,

White walls and light-hued furnishings match the airiness of the home's design. Douglas made the dining table from maple milled on site atop a Corbusier LC 6 base. A Heracleum pendant by Moooi hangs above it.

The footprint of the house remained the same and O'Herlihy kept the layout open and expansive.

Slatted wooden ceilings add visual interest.

The ceilings of the interior are all clad in wood

Floor to ceiling windows maximize the views.

When the house architect Lorcan O’Herlihy originally built for his parents burnt down in a Malibu wildfire, he was given the opportunity to rebuild it as a structure that will stand the test of time. The concrete shell of the house was the biggest fireproofing decision, particularly the roof. The house also features additional passive fire protection elements to prevent ember intrusions, such as spark-arresting screens to protect any vulnerable spots and drought-tolerant landscaping. A sprinkler system wraps the perimeter to saturate the building in an emergency, plus there’s a pool that could provide additional water for firefighting purposes.

Floor Plan of Stealth House by Specht Novak Architects

Despite a delay in schedule, the house will be capable of operating off-grid thanks to a solar photovoltaic system and battery back up system.