Casa Solai: Modern Costa Rican Home Bridging Architecture and Wilderness

This post explores Casa Solai, a striking family residence by Studio Saxe perched in the jungle canopy of Costa Rica’s Puntarenas coast. It examines how the project balances a dramatic, layered composition of pavilions with locally sourced materials and passive environmental strategies.

Careful structural detailing creates a self-sufficient retreat that reads as both modern architecture and a continuation of the wild landscape.

Site and Concept: two pavilions in conversation with the jungle

Casa Solai is designed as a dialogue between hill and treetop. One wooden pavilion sits grounded into the hillside, while a second rises above the canopy.

They are connected by a central foyer that guides movement through the house. A stone pathway winds through dense tropical planting, leading to an entry that hints at the project’s balance of heaviness and lightness.

Form, façade and the choreography of views

The elevated pavilion features a timber louver façade that both screens and animates the volume. This creates an effect of floating and echoes the vertical rhythm of surrounding palms.

Large glass panels, terraces, and vertical gardens blur the line between inside and out. An infinity pool faces the Pacific, extending the sense of openness.

The central foyer acts as a spine for movement and visual connection. It allows daylight and breezes to flow through the plan.

Materiality and interior craft

Inside, the palette reflects Santa Teresa’s landscape. Stone, handmade tiles, warm timber, and fossil-rich stone surfaces come from local artisans.

These choices ground the modern design in its setting, offering tactile contrast to the light timber frames and glazed openings. Distant ocean views are framed throughout.

Furnishings, lighting and sensory finish

Custom furniture, including a bespoke dining table, anchors the living area. Artisanal tiles and finishes add character.

Intelligent lighting, shading, and integrated audio systems offer modern comfort while keeping a relaxed, retreat-like feel. The interiors focus on warmth and texture, letting local craft and raw materials shape the experience.

Sustainability, structure and construction strategy

Sustainability was integral from concept to completion. The design prioritizes solar generation, passive cooling, natural ventilation, and extensive shading to lower energy use.

Materials were chosen for durability and low maintenance. Bamboo, teak, and robust stone are used where they perform best in tropical conditions.

Resilience and minimal site impact

Studio Saxe combined prefabricated steel frames with concrete plinths to balance structural strength and lightness.

This approach minimized on-site disturbance during construction and improved seismic performance.

It also allowed for more controlled, efficient assembly in challenging terrain.

Over the six-year project timeline, the studio managed architecture, interiors, and detailing for a cohesive outcome.

Key sustainable and design features:

Casa Solai is an eco-conscious coastal retreat that merges contemporary spaces with local materials and resilient engineering.

Careful siting, local craft, passive strategies, and thoughtful structure create a home that belongs to the place while offering modern comfort and self-sufficiency.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Between the built and the wild: Casa Solai