Daniel graduated from Costa Rica Institute of Technology with a degree in architecture in 2019 after having worked in architecture and construction since 2016. He noticed early on that the better the information a project has, the better the project will be. This led him to develop his expertise in Building Information Modeling (BIM).
As a self-diagnosed BIM nerd, Daniel advocates for a data-driven methodology to architecture, knowing how valuable information is in enabling better decision making, efficient planning and executing, and optimized construction processes.
Daniel’s experience ranges from Costa Rica to Colombia to the United States. He has worked on a number of large housing and commercial projects, giving him an edge on projects of high technical complexity. This is evident in his thesis in architectural acoustics at the University of Santiago, Chile. As a part of the project “Adaptable Acoustic Prototype for Multifunctional Spaces,” his work is displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santiago.
When you combine Daniel’s technical experience, his passion for information, and his sensitivity for design, the result is an excellent complement to the team, capable of translating the purest design intentions into efficient and executable construction solutions.
Silvia considers herself an adventurous person who brings energy and creativity to each new endeavor. She graduated as an architect in 2020 from Costa Rica Institute of Technology. She had the opportunity to do an internship at the University of Seville and a stay at the University of Malaga, where she immersed herself in urban projects, such as conservation of heritage buildings, rehabilitation of underutilized spaces, and accessibility.
Her constant desire to design has led her to not only participate in residential and commercial projects but also to explore other areas, such as furniture design and brand design. In each process, she seeks to generate sustainable solutions that include both innovation and awareness of the impact that each one has in its environment.
Silvia thrives when working in a team, as she highlights the best in others and values being pushed to shine the best she can. She is open-minded and adapts to challenging situations. Apart from work, Silvia is a coffee and pastry lover. She has applied her passion for design and detail in this field, even going as far as working as a barista and a pastry chef in order to hone her skills.
I graduated in 2020 from L’École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Lyon (France) with a Master’s Degree in Heritage Rehabilitation and Sustainability. During my academic journey, I also had the opportunity to do a year abroad in Portugal, at the Universidade de Arquitetura do Porto, where my love for colorful tiles and sober gestures made sense in my head.
While in Porto, I worked in a rehabilitation architecture studio which focused on bringing light and a modern twist to some of the older buildings in the city: I quickly understood that to respect the existent was to respect history and nature. The importance of new elements only becomes valuable when it acknowledges its site and heritage.
With a mixture of sadness and excitement I came back to San José where I worked in Interior Design for 2 years as a Project Manager and Designer: this opened my horizons to an understanding of details that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore.
I consider myself a nostalgic person: cooking to remember people and taking pictures to remember moments. I love being outdoors, practicing Muay Thai in the mornings and trying new food whenever I can.
Kat does not hail originally from the world of architecture but rather from the world of communication. In 2014, she graduated from Oregon State University with degrees in International Studies and Public Health. Soon after, she moved to Costa Rica, where she immersed herself in the world of written communication and marketing.
For the last decade, Kat transitioned from teaching English in Costa Rica to working with marketing and content teams. At Instinto Studio, if you write in, inquiring about a project, you are likely to communicate with her for preliminary exchanges.
Elisa Sánchez is a recent honors graduate from Veritas University. Her interest in creativityand design dates back to her early years, and she always knew she wanted to pursue acareer in architecture.
During her university years, Elisa acquired a diverse range of technical and theoretical skillsthat have made her a competent professional in her field. She had the opportunity to work onpractical and team projects, experimenting with different design approaches and techniques.
Elisa has several artistic passions, all of which can be applied to architecture and design.She enjoys post-production and giving personality to her projects through graphic design.Photography is another medium that she uses to express her creativity, as she loves tocapture moments.
Elisa's love for learning about different cultures began in high school when she had theopportunity to participate in exchange programs with countries like Germany and the UnitedStates. During her travels, she is most passionate about learning about the culture andarchitecture of these places. This, combined with her love for photography and art, allowsher to bring a unique perspective to her work in architecture and design.
We believe good design does more than just look pleasing. It improves people’s quality of life.
What would life look like without design? It’s hard to imagine, but you know that it wouldn’t make a lot of sense.
Design isn’t just about making something that looks pretty. It’s about improving the quality of life of those who use the design. That’s why we create houses and buildings that actively improve the lives and experiences of our clients. They are beautiful...but they also make sense.
Here’s how.
We integrate our projects into the environment, creating each structure to fit perfectly into its habitat. We seek to understand the world we live in, designing buildings in harmony with their surroundings.
It’s holistic. Each project is a puzzle that pieces together exploration and investigation, nature, contemporary technology, local charm, thoughtful materials, and a deep respect for social, economic, and environmental impact.
Our drive is to compose symphonies that marry reason with emotion, in order to delight the eye, surprise the mind, and build habitats where memories will be made. Each creation is made hand-in-hand with our clients to create real solutions, regardless of the scale or budget.
Instinto Studio creates sustainable, tropical architecture.
At our heart, we create unique experiences with nature.
Alejandro graduated from Veritas University with a degree in Architecture in 2015. From the very beginning, the pursuit of survival in complicated and extreme environments motivated and thrilled him.
Alejandro seeks to create structures that thrive, despite rain, heat, or foliage of the Costa Rican setting. He exhaustively studies every environmental factor and is meticulous with every detail, from design to materials to construction. There’s a beauty you only see when all the parts of a project come together.
His experience ranges from tropical boutique hotels that delight their guests to private homes that make their inhabitants comfortable and content. He’s as comfortable on the construction site as in the office, an ease that comes from having so many designs go through construction. Alejandro knows what works in construction and how to speak contractor, just some of the many details of the process he is passionate for.
Not satisfied with remaining static, Alejandro is an avid musician and guitarist in a band, the art director at Studio Hyperspace where he explores artistic expression through large-scale digital illustrations, and a frequent student. He specialized in Project Management at LEAD University and DesignThinking & Business Design at Veritas University.
Laura’s vast experience in architecture began in 2008 when she graduated from VeritasUniversity. From there, she hit the ground running, pushing herself to learn as much as she could and expand her knowledge and abilities without ceasing.
Laura knows the ins and outs of sustainable design, beginning with her Master’s Degree inArchitecture, Energy, and Environment from the ETSAB Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, where her thesis “Practicable Facade in the Urban Context for Warm Humid Climate” received honorable mentions.
Over the last decade plus, Laura has only intensified her passion for bioclimatic architecture and how the structures she creates coexist in the tropical context. While her experience is broad, ranging from Costa Rica to Barcelona and back in cities, beaches, mountains and beyond, her expertise can be found in the big picture, as well as details. You’ll find she knows the best materials to use as building facades when building in tropical environments.You’ll also find her searching constantly for better solutions.
There’s little in the architecture world that can daunt Laura, who has over a decade experience with commercial hotels, private homes, remodels, institutions, and dozens of other projects of large and small scale that she’s seen to fruition. Wherever the industry goes, you’ll find Laura there, whether it’s working with sustainable design based on years of experience or exploring new trends.
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Cesar started working in the world of architecture in 2013 and graduated from Veritas University with a degree in Architecture in 2014.
Cesar draws inspiration from a strong connection with nature, a respect for the natural world that his family instilled in him since he was a child. He has an innate ability to conceptualize projects and is known for creating exceptional initial concepts. He sees each project as its own unique challenge and looks forward to finding the right solutions for each specific element, regardless of scale.
A profound love for Costa Rica’s natural paradise drives Cesar to create a masterpiece out of each project in order to do the setting justice. Beauty deserves to exist with beauty. He challenges himself to break the mold, finding new and better ways to fit architecture seamlessly into its organic context.
Sports like surf, tennis, and swimming let Cesar have constant contact with the world in which he builds. The adrenaline, passion, and respect that sports have taught him constantly motivate his creativity. Cesar is a man who rarely stops moving and never stops imagining and creating.
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