CASA CHING minimal house in Costa Rica

We design for those who aspire to make a change in their lives, for people who invest in their future, for those who believe that architecture can change the way we live, for those who want to achieve their goals, for those who want to support local communities and be actors of change.

We do architecture, we give contextual answers to problems of individual and/or collective scale where we bring our experience and vision to create experiences and spaces according to the needs of their users and in intelligence with the parameters of the environment.

We believe in the constant optimization of our creative process. Each project enriches the next one with new knowledge in the way of designing or building. Research on new materials (bamboo, containers, steel frame…) and unique and timeless designs are the key to satisfy our clients. We look for the right tools to analyze, design and build according to the requirements of the client, the site and the context. We work hand in hand with professionals in each area who accompany us and help us to engineer optimized solutions by crossing perspectives and fields of expertise.

When we choose to initiate a project with our client, it is the beginning of a new fruitful relationship where the exchange contributes to translate great ideas into significant achievements.

Our firm base is in Costa Rica where we work in a tropical ecosystem that facilitates experimentation. The contact with nature allows us to develop our creativity and ingenuity to the maximum in order to build projects in perfect harmony with the environment. Continuous travels and contacts with local architecture worldwide in France, Japan, Denmark, Tunisia, Italy, Mexico, among others enrich our perspective of the world in which we live.

CASA CHING

Minimalist Architecture in Costa Rica

The project is located in a residential area, in the district of Tres Ríos, province of Cartago, Costa Rica. The house is formed from two basic volumes which separate the private space from the social, these are divided by means of the garden and are connected by the main access. From the street you can see part of the interior, this allows to generate several levels of reading, generates a perception of amplitude and permeability. When you enter the lobby, you will find a double layer of glass that gives a transverse view to the bottom of the garden, playing with depth. The volume of concrete contains an open floor plan with varying heights, distributing the common area (Kitchen, dining room, Living room), and in the mezzanine the studio and a dark room of photography. To generate privacy between rooms, these were placed at the ends of the volume of zinc separated by the wet block (bathrooms, and laundry). It used the route of the sun to create shadows and change the spaces according to the hours of the day and the use of spaces. Light becomes one of the main elements, behaving like a texture that generates changing atmospheres. A range of colors (white, black and gray) was chosen to delimit and frame the spaces. The textures of concrete and zinc reinforce the pure lines of the house. Basic materials such as concrete and zinc were sought to accentuate the simplicity of the project. The stones used in the gardens, are the only mineral elements chosen also with a gray tone to maintain the sobriety of the whole. The gardens function as patios, contemplative spaces of the house producing a sense of silence and tranquility that bounces back inside. This project represent a singular Minimalist architecture in Costa Rica.