Innovations for small dwellings
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It´s not hard to admire a well-designed shelter in the lush, unspoiled Costa Rican rainforest. But this house by Benjamin Garcia Saxe shows particular adeptness at respecting the local vernacular, while embracing modern comforts and energy-efficiency. It was the spectacular surroundings that inspire the project, says the architect, who designed and built the house for his mother. “ My mum moved away from the city and built her own home out of tree trunks, mosquito nets and tin” he explains. She placed her bed in a corner to watch the moon as she went to sleep. Having trained at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, as well as the architecture school in Costa Rica, Garcia Saxe decided to improve on his mother´s design, but not her vision of a simple house with a moon view.
