Planter Boxes Were Designed To Help This House To Blend Into Its Tropical Setting

Studio Saxe designed this house in Costa Rica for clients from Canada who wanted to leave the northern winter behind and spend time in the tropics. Planter boxes and planting placed in and around the house help it sit quietly in its tropical setting.

Designed around the creek

The property is covered in tropical landscape. Its seasonal creek and the wildlife that lives there became the main drivers of how the house was designed and where it was placed on the land.

Planters for privacy

Planter boxes and vegetation are positioned with care so the owners feel private and close to the forest, while still being near everything they need. On the second floor, boxes filled with large tropical plants screen the rooms and frame chosen views.

The gardens were also planned to bring colour and scent that attract birds and butterflies, so the planting adds to daily life in the house as well as to its looks.

Pool and entrance

A swimming pool adds to the tropical feel of the outdoor areas. At the front, visitors arrive through an oversized door, and a small indoor garden at the entrance brings colour against the light materials used inside.

Teak, aluminium and local craft

Bleached teak covers the ceilings and floors. Large aluminium window systems can open completely, so the rooms can change from closed to fully open. The kitchen and all the built-ins were made by local providers, and most of the furniture was also produced locally.

A covered dining area just off the kitchen looks onto the pool, which can also be enjoyed from the sun loungers.

Bedrooms on two levels

Bedrooms are found on both floors. Those at ground level open straight to the gardens, while those upstairs look into the middle of the tree canopy and the wildlife that lives there. Wood stairs, set against stone walls and windows, link the two levels.

Hidden lighting

Lighting is tucked under the planter boxes outside. The bathrooms use hidden lighting too, along with floating vanities and walk-in showers.

Project credits

• Project: private house, Costa Rica
• Architecture design: Studio Saxe
• Design director: Benjamin G. Saxe
• Interior design: Saxe Interiors
• Landscape design: Saxe Landscape
• Collaborators: Prodeyco, Guidi Estructurales, Energetica
• Photography: Andres Garcia Lachner
• Source: Contemporist