Joya Villas is a project designed by Studio Saxe and is located in Santa Teresa Costa Rica. Photography by Andrés García Lachner.

“Set in the rainforest of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, two modern homes project out of the landscape and are defined by a series of steel frames that that bring the best modern methods of construction to a tropical location. The use of large steel I-beams and concrete is a tenet of the international language of Modernist architecture and Studio Saxe have taken this design approach and recontextualised it for contemporary use. This project is a continuation of their search for an authentic Central American tropical architecture.
The raw materials of steel and concrete are balanced with the careful use of crafted wooden screens and floors, to ensure the design of these rental properties is rooted in local traditions and building techniques. The black metal frames create cantilevered openings that hover over thesocial spaces below, creating a blurred distinction between inside andoutside areas and between private and more communal atmospheres.”