The Floating House is located in the central valley of Costa Rica, which houses the majority of the national population. In this context, the project creates a suburban oasis on a beautiful hillside location. Hanging gardens and balconies provide home owners with spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, while large roof overhangs protect the individual spaces from rainwater and solar radiation. The building interiors merge with their adjacent exteriors, creating a unified and harmonious relationship among nature and the built environment. The building develops from the inside out. All furniture pieces form an integral part of the overall project design, manufactured to resist the humidity of the local tropical climate. Large glass doors and sliding walls dynamically redefine the relationship of interior and exterior spaces, according to the changing necessities of rainy or dry season. The project is based on passive design strategies, including a site-responsive positioning and the use of natural resources for cross-ventilation and solar energy. Industrial building techniques are combined with locally harvested and regenerative construction materials.
Bio A-01 is an interdisciplinary network organization for the development of integrally sustainable solutions. In a globally urbanizing society, we work at the borderline of city and countryside or help identify new synergies between the urban and rural domains. Our work methodology is designed to break the boundaries of a single professional perspective to allow for a holistic approach that shapes our products. We envision a long-term impact that involves economic growth, high-quality spatial surroundings, responsible use of natural resources and equal social development.
Other prizes Various awards for sustainable design and development, including more than 50 international awards for the different prototypes of the No Footprint House series (NFH). The NFH is based on a modular systemic design that allows for a broad variety of integrally sustainable residential typologies.
