UM House

Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica 2011-2013

The project stems from an explicit request from the client: “I want a cube, a gallery, a hall where everything begins”. The desire is born from the client’s passion for art and the cube would be his great gallery. Like any project that changes, this one is born from an experience that turns into a surprise.

A simple cube with a copper skin is proposed, surrounded by a large mirror of water that will be the entrance walkway to the house. This proposal varied for budgetary reasons, however the idea of ​​the cube never left the client’s wish, however that cube would be deconstructed in the final proposal. That “cube” was split in two and became the private areas and rescuing water and art as protagonists, the central space of the house becomes the heart of the project. This new space is made up of the entire social area where a large double-height glass facade with a slender colonnade that supports the roof shows everything that happens inside.

Client
Private owner

Location
Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica

Construction Area
550 sqm

Programme
Residential

Design
Carlos Araya

Status
Construction completed