Casa Terracota

A utopic plain, surrounded by forested mountains and a paradise scenery full of greens, oranges, and yellows, topped by a wide sky are the highlights of this amazing valley. These were also the main features of the site where we were asked to design a house in Nicoya, Guanacaste.

A utopic plain, surrounded by forested mountains and a paradise scenery full of greens, oranges, and yellows, topped by a wide sky are the highlights of this amazing valley. These were also the main features of the site where we were asked to design a house in Nicoya, Guanacaste.


This idyllic environment inspired us to “sculpt” a series of plans to create the different parts of the house with walls made of tamp soil straight from the natural environment and raw material from that very place.

This decision began by exploring the chromatic possibilities, malleability, and benefits of the soil. Economically, this construction method has low-cost life cycles and results in the most naturally comfortable room temperature of all construction methods on the market. Achieving this feat while maintaining low energy consumption with something as simple as the construction method is an environmental and economic success, especially in a region where temperatures routinely reach 36°C.

In addition to all of the tangible benefits, returning to traditional building methods gives this project a powerful local identity and gives its inhabitants the unique experience of living in a house that seems to be a part of the landscape.

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