Garden House

Garden House is a prototype for sustainability, it was conceptualized as a personal customize little “farm” by architect Rodolfo Tinoco from LSD Architects

It is inspired on the idea that architecture shouldn’t be just walls, windows and roofs… Garden House is an interactive structure that provides food, electricity and water, while creating a strong relationship with the site and its immediate context.

This structure was also designed with the idea to provide shelter and resources in case of natural disasters like flooding and drought. Located in the north pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tamarindo Beach is also suffering from the rising temperatures and lack of water availability.

A wise use of the resources will be a human priority in the near future. Sewage treatment, water harvesting, composting, solar water heating, cooling systems, high efficiency enclosure systems and fixtures are sustainable components of the Garden House.

ELEVATED GARDEN PLANTER
This component of the building is not only intrinsic part of the esthetics of the architecture but also provides privacy and sun shading while drip system irrigation keeps the greens growing for the house use. Permaculture and independent agriculture is becoming a tendency due to the high pollution in markets products. Garden House presents a possibility for architecture to incorporate “food production wall systems”.

PHOTOVOLTAIC PARABOLIC ROOF by Greenenergy
The roof bends like a leaf to provide proper shade for the house and water drainage slope while capturing the suns energy for the use of the Garden House. Independent energy production will be a reality of the near future and architecture should provide its user the electricity in order to survive.

WATER HARVESTING AND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN by Water Pump Solutions
Incorporated into the house system as intrinsical part of the architecture, water from the roofs is re-used for irrigation and so is the water produced by the Air Conditioning System. Sewage is fully treated and drained into the natural water flow of the property. Water is our most valuable resource and can be efficiently used and re-used promoting sustainable use for our future generations.

HIGH EFFICIENCY WINDOWS SYSTEMS by Grupo 5
Low-e, double glass and aluminum frame sliding doors and windows promote natural ventilation and a close connection to the natural exterior environment, while sealing properly when air conditioning is needed.

HIGH EFFICIENCY FIXTURES AND MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS by Diversifika
Continuos water shortages force technology to evolve into more efficient use of the resources.
High efficiency faucets and toilets are important sustainable components of the Garden House.
Our constantly changing culture and social habits also require architectural ergonomic components to interact with our daily human activities, from a “wall-planter” or a “railing-bench” to a “wall-closet-table”. This components allow a flexible use of the space at the Garden House.

V SHAPE STILTS
Addressing the idea that our sea level is actually rising and thousands of properties will have to deal with this in the future, elevating the structure reduces the footprint and lets the greenery prevail in the ground floor level, while creating a shaded space with a high connection to the natural landscape.

Architecture: LSD - Laboratory Sustaining Design – www.lsd.cr
Photography: www.garcialachner.com