Casa Infinity

Casa Infinity is a project developed on one of the most famous beaches of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. At the top of a hill, we found ourselves for the first time on the lot surrounded by Teak trees, with a subtle view of the ocean between the branches, we imagined a pool that hugged a house creating a connection. From the beginning, the vision was clear. We had to achieve an integration of the interior space with the exterior with the pool as a delimiting axis, surrounding the social areas. The pool had to have more than the function of swimming. It needed spaces to enjoy and discover. With these bases we began to design the living room, from the inside out and thus the name Infinity House was given, not only because of the pool, but also because of the projection of the spaces towards the horizon.

The formal design consists fundamentally of two volumes, the front facing the street and the back area facing the garden and the ocean. These two areas had to meet completely different requirements. The front, because it was close to the street, had to be private. Exposed concrete was chosen as the primary material. This large volume of concrete created a division between the street and the recreation area of the house. In addition, it had to serve another purpose, we wanted to ensure that when you arrived at the house you could see a sense of grandeur, like a temple on the top of a hill, this is the main façade, and we believe that the first impression is the last impression.

In this frontal side we also incorporated a mosaic texture handmade by regional artisans that added movement and dynamism. We used large Teak panels to mark the entrance and the door to the house and wooden louvers on the second floor to close the views towards the Yoga terrace. The wood balances the strong expression of the concrete whish was essential to make the composition work.
That was also the reason why we textured the concrete walls and ceilings with wood liners. This finish accomplishes to “tropicalize” the concrete, which in the quantities we wanted to use could look very cold. We wanted it to feel alive and with personality, like a sculpture. This finish made a strong statement for the design of the house, but it also helped to break the strong linearity of the concrete boxes, making them imperfect and therefore more in line with its environment. The technique was executed in a precast concrete factory to better control the process and guarantee the quality of the finish. The project execution time was also improved thanks to the implementation and modulation of this prefab construction system.

At the back façade, a steel structure was designed that floats over the pool, we called this The Nest, its pillars arise from the base and rise cleanly to the roof of the house. Here, local teak slats were used for the ceiling, which contrasts perfectly with the black color of the steel. The glass doors of the living space open in two directions incorporating the terraces, giving the feeling of being outside from the moment you enter the house, there you can see directly to the garden and the ocean in a clean line. The infinity pool surrounds the first floor, it was designed with a bench on its edge that provides a space in the water to socialize and discover new uses while sitting under the shade.

We wanted the project to highlight simplicity, sophistication, and high-end finishes. An exercise in balance between minimalist design and the tropical reality of our environment, adapting to the conditions, using cross ventilation and solar control techniques, where the feeling of being inside and outside at the same time is possible.