Casa Kike / Gianni Botsford Architects

Jul 2008

Uploaded by David Basulto — Filed under: Houses ,Selected , Costa Rica, Wood, Zinc

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A few months ago i spotted this house with an amazing private library in Domus magazine, on an issue dedicated to contemporary libraries. It has a very detalied wood work. I love the bookshelves between the structure. the text from the architect, more pictures and drawings after the break.

Architects: Gianni Botsford
Location: Cahuita, Costa Rica
Client: Confidential
Budget: UK £55,000 (US $108,971)
Contractor: Lechenne Construction
Structural Engineers: Tall Engineers
Photographs: Christian Richters

By coupling indigenous techniques and materials with modern design technologies and aesthetics GBA has created this intimate double pavilion for a writer in Costa Rica.

A main studio space, with library, writing desk and grand piano, is the writer’s daytime space. The pavilion’s wooden structure, sourced from local timber, sits on a simple foundation of wooden stilts on small concrete pad foundations. Roof beams of up to 10 m long and 355 mm deep allow for an interior with no vertical columns. The mono-pitched roof elevates towards the sea shore, while the interior is through ventilated via a completely louvred glazed end façade.

Set at a short distance along a raised walkway, a second smaller pavilion mirrors the first. This contains sleeping quarters and a bathroom. Externally, the pavilions are clad in corrugated steel sheeting, another locally used construction material. The overall effect is that of a building which blends with its surroundings, both visually and environmentally.

© photographs copyright christian richters

: site plan

: ground plan

: roof plan

: elevation 01

: elevation 02

About David Basulto: Graduate Architect. Co Founder and Executive Editor of ArchDaily.com. Architecture geek.

Cite:
Basulto , David . "Casa Kike / Gianni Botsford Architects" 08 Jul 2008. ArchDaily. Accessed 04 Feb 2012. <http://www.archdaily.com/3611>

Comments (27)
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Links to this entry (7)

soda says:

Is humidity a problem in that area? I’m wondering about the condition of the books in what seems like an essentially open structure…

# July 8, 2008 at 16:20

Conno says:

i was thinking the same exact thing when I saw it the books. Such a beautiful house though!

# July 9, 2008 at 16:10

Cozby says:

I vow one day to have a study like that!

# July 9, 2008 at 22:03

lene says:

although the exteriors are too much for me. i really like the interiors. the library is beautiful and spacious.
quoting cozby: “I vow one day to have a study like that!”

# July 9, 2008 at 23:47

Connie says:

Talk about ALWAYS having good reading light.

# July 10, 2008 at 04:02

SolPatots says:

Funny structure!

# July 11, 2008 at 03:29

mat says:

really wood use of wood

# October 21, 2008 at 18:27

fiona winzar says:

Stunning! A beautiful sculptural work that is understated externally and richly textured internally. Gianni is on top of the game.

# January 21, 2009 at 06:57

joel says:

a lucky used book store owner won this bid.

# January 28, 2009 at 17:35

DCV says:

The area is really humid. This project is located in the most humid region of Costa Rica, although its closeness to the shore provides reasonable wind, so air circulation (in and out) of the house can be an answer to potentially severe humidity problems. Actually, traditional houses (19th-early 20th century)in that area are made of wood and are quite open for this reason.

# February 17, 2009 at 02:26

Bella says:

I usually don

# April 23, 2009 at 01:34

peter says:

I am planning to build a small retirement/ vacation home in the same area of Costa Rica (Manzanillo). How does the owner secure the property when it is left unattended?

# June 8, 2009 at 09:13

I’m planning to build a retirement /vacation home in the same area of Costa Rica. (Manzanillo) I’m concerned with securing theproperty when it is left unattended. How does the owner of this beautiful space keep the property secure.

# June 8, 2009 at 09:16

Timmy says:

Keep up this good blog;great job!

# June 30, 2009 at 05:17

Goldschmidt Razvan says:

No, the book are protected, even for the horizontal rain. I so a project on National Geographic, and I so the same thing about that protection. I the roof is covering well that part of the house. Anyway it is a cool loking house for a reader or a writer. And also I love the wood structure of the house

# August 12, 2009 at 08:48

ana rocha says:

http://noticias.lugarcerto.com.br/imoveis/template_interna_noticias,id_noticias=31529&id_sessoes=13/template_interna_noticias.shtml

I think you should see this.

for me, this is plagiarism

# August 23, 2009 at 19:24

Rcesar says:

Could you please check the following address: http://admin.estadodeminas.vrum.com.br/imoveis/modulos/modulos/galeriadefoto/retornarArquivoFoto?arquivo=12505515317856919765.jpg

The picture above is about an office ridiculously copied by a decorator in Brazil, during an event named Casa Cor 2009, which is happening right now. Please Check http://www.casacor.com.br/minasgerais/ should you decide getting in touch with the organizers of that event. It was the most stupid plagiarism I ever saw!

# August 25, 2009 at 23:32

Clarisse says:

I think you should read de text the brasilian architect wrote about her project. She is pretty clear about her admiration for Gianni.
It doesn’t hurt to research before making acusations…

# August 26, 2009 at 13:59

Unfortunatelly architecture and design are not such matter that requires instructions to use nor to perceive. A copy is still a copy no matter what. As a matter of fact what really hurts is the justification alleged by the author of the copy, in a millieu of professionals that are very keen about originality.

# August 26, 2009 at 14:18

According to that idea, nobody could ever use any piece of furniture designed by somebody else. She never said it’s her design. It’s just like using another designer’s chair in a project.

# August 26, 2009 at 14:36

Ally says: