ANSUI House - Nosara

In the heart of the Tropical Dry Forest in the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where nature's extremes converge, a pioneering architectural endeavor emerged, redefining the very concept of comfort with Tropical design at its core.

The Tropical Dry Forest presents one of architecture's most intricate challenges, demanding a solution that provides optimal comfort amidst the stark contrast between its extremely dry and humid environments. With just a two-month transition between these extremes, the quest for equilibrium reaches unprecedented complexity.

Yet, Ansui House transcends mere adaptation to physical conditions. It ventures into the realm of cosmic alignment, utilizing the golden ratio, akin to the harmonious proportions found in galaxies, to ensure occupants are enveloped in a perpetual sense of connection to the universal order.

ANSUI HOUSE is where every architectural detail was meticulously crafted to harmonize with the ever-changing rhythms of the environment. Here, amidst the tranquil Zen Tropical garden, a Ylang Ylang tree stands as the origin point of such ratio—a beacon of meditation and introspection, inviting occupants to explore the depths of their own being while transiting to their own private rooms.

This is more than just a house; it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, a sanctuary where comfort transcends physical boundaries. A journey where architecture becomes an exploration of existence itself. Discover ANSUI HOUSE and embark on an adventure that will awaken your senses and expand your understanding of the world around you.

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The project starts by acknowledgment of the sites conditions, a curved like shape and its coincidental resemblance to the peripheric 180 degree ocean views that it is subject to. No coincidences there, it was already evoking a fluid adaptation of the structure to its environment.

Sitting at the top of a hill overlooking a dense tropical dry forest which subsequently dissolves into the vast ocean, called for the house’s presence to remain seamless and respectfully merging with an ever changing landscape.

Tropical design is the base of thought of this house, meaning that as mentioned before, placement was fundamental, but principles of passive actions such as natural ventilation and natural illumination were key as a principle of order for what was going to shape the form in the future.

Taking into account that the house had to be welcoming to a very social use, it caused the first floor to have each bedroom independently, which in turn was going to function as an autonomous villa, contrasting with the overall social concept of the house to encapsulate each room more privately. Articulated by green areas that not only provide separation but also welcome the first traces of the landscape, making their presence felt even in the intimacy of the private space, causing a natural metamorphosis between climatic and energetic benefits.

Evoking a more earthy sense, more grounding, it was decided to use warmer materials, handmade clay, travertine stone, and wild cane, a type of native bamboo. This was done to make the connection with the earth grounding and to make the earthly experience feel bearable and even fun.

An open staircase allows not only a vertical transition between the different levels but also a horizontal crossing that, in the form of a funnel, penetrates the structure, joining two green masses, causing a natural acceleration of wind due to its conical shape. Stairs are considered a ritual that evokes spiritual ascent to a higher plane, which is emulated by the double height leading to the second level.

Once on the second level, the spirit of the space is completely opposite to the first level. Now everything is about expansion, vastness, connection with the infinite.