This airy modern home features lush gardens, solar panels, and a recycled water system to make living 100% off-grid home possible with style! Architect Rodolfo Tinoco designed Casa Jardin to be so well equipped that it fend for itself in any situation. It has all systems in place to provide food, water, power, and shelter during natural disasters. The unique structure has several details that help reduce its environmental impact, promote a sustainable lifestyle and provide plenty of privacy if you are on a vacation (that’s also why it’s conveniently located by the beach)!
Casa Jardin is built just one block from Tamarindo Beach which is Costa Rica’s main tourist destination. It is a blueprint for self-sustaining architecture. “I wanted to create a prototype that would provide food, water, and power, and also protect during catastrophic situations like droughts and floods,” said architect Rodolfo Tinoco who designed the home for himself and his family.
A vertical garden on the main facade wraps itself upwards and around the home. This creates privacy from the adjacent road, helps control the temperature of interior spaces, and grows edible greens – all factors that help make the home more sustainable and cozy!
The residential area is one level above ground and is spacious for a family with a sleeping area, large living room, bathroom, and a giant balcony where the vertical gardens continue to grow.
The home is set atop V-shaped stilts, reducing its impact on the land while also creating a covered outdoor space below. But raising it was also a way to plan for the changing climate: “Elevating the structure addresses the fact that our sea level is actually rising and properties will have to deal with this in the future,” explains Tinoco.
It features a leaf-shaped photovoltaic roof that harnesses enough solar power for the family to live off-grid. Rainwater from the roof is recycled for irrigation, as is the water produced by the HVAC system. Sewage is fully treated and drained into the property’s natural water flow. “Water is our most valuable resource, and this project shows it’s possible to use and reuse it efficiently,” explains Tinoco.
Casa Jardin’s interiors feature a neutral color palette that helps keep an emphasis on the natural environment outside. A teak wood ceiling, light gray porcelain tile, and whitewashed walls combine to create a naturally illuminated space. It is also inspired from a beachy aesthetic and visually keeps the space light, refreshing, and open!
Casa Jardin engages holistically with its surroundings and stands as just one example of LSD’s greater mission -“We’re committed to creating architecture that responds to the immediate context in our tropical climate while also being reflective of each owner’s unique needs,” says Tinoco who is an example himself, showing us all that sustainable living is possible with a family and without compromising on any luxuries!
Designer: LSD Architects
Urban Shell – Shelter for Homeless by Agustin Otegui
Urban Shell Shelter has been developed to work as a shelter for changing weather conditions. During the night or in cold weather environments, the trolley is placed against a corner protecting the user from rain, wind or snow. The roof cover keeps the safe from water or snow while its lateral covering panels keep them protected from the wind, creating a warm and cozy shelter. During the day or in hot weather conditions its roof protects them from sunlight, while its open structure lets the air pass through, keeping the fresh and comfortable inside.
Urban Shell has the added value of an external core that works as a structure for hanging and arranging extra belongings or simply keeping them handy. The protection panels apart from keeping their belongings safe from the rain, they help them have some dignity and privacy by making them look as neat persons even if the things inside are not arranged or tidy.
Designer: Agustin Otegui
This eco-friendly prefab cabin in the Italian alpines needs to be on AirBnB!
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Who wouldn’t want to pack up and move to a beautiful tiny home that sits atop a hill in Aosta Valley, Italy? The House in Chamois is made of our sustainable architecture dreams – a modern, prefabricated home by Torino-based firm Leap Factory. All projects are called ‘Leap Houses’ and each home’s entire design is constructed with a modular system built of natural, recyclable materials that allow for maximum flexibility. Every component for the House in Chamois was produced and designed in Italy to reduce environmental impact and construction site waste.
The home was made for a couple who has a deep love for the outdoors so immersing them in the natural landscape was vital to the design. The two-story tiny house is used as a base for exploring the alpine landscape while blending into it with its angular, contemporary, and minimalist form. Leap stands for ‘Living Ecological Alpine Pod’ and the House in Chamois’ design is environmentally friendly. The prefab unit is also hyper-secure and has been engineered to resist earthquakes, hurricanes, and other extreme climate activities that are expected in the valley.
House in Chamois is highly modular which makes it adaptable to different lifestyles and settings. It comes with integrated furniture and warm interior details that are a contrast to this dark exterior cladding. “With its minimal shapes and spaces full of light, the house shows incredible attention to details, lines, and materials. The layout of the rooms, furnishings and technical systems are fully integrated to give life to spaces where one can fully express their personality and live in harmony with their surroundings,” explained the architects. Leap Factory is truly making “leaps” for the construction industry to change their course and embrace zero-impact dwelling!
Designer: Leap Factory
