Construction
This completely secure, private home is truly magnificently made. All materials and workmanship are of the highest quality and the result is pure tropical luxury. Attention to detail is obvious and the space is appreciated more and more with the discovery of each well thought out idea. Since the Villa was labeled the "Best House in Jaco" by nearly everyone who has visited and is going to be featured in upcoming design and architectural magazines like Beach Home Magazine. A thirty second walk to the beach puts an exclamation point on the list of features and completes the unprecedented appeal of this one of a kind dream home.
Construction details
All construction meets or exceeds current building codes. In Costa Rica, building codes have been getting tougher every year. The difference in construction between new construction and construction even just five years old can be significant. Other beach homes were viewed and studied over an eight-month period in the design phase of Villa Antigua. We wanted to minimize or eliminate the extreme wear and tear that beach living can cause. We discovered that homes even just 100 feet further from the beach showed significant less deterioration than beach front homes, thus requiring much less maintenance. In addition, we built in many features that are designed specifically for beach living. In designing Villa Antigua, we believed that the owners should be able to simply enjoy the home rather than worrying about continued maintenance, upkeep, replacement or repair of problem construction.
Arched windows/ doors
Although square doors/windows are a lot less expensive and less of a design challenge, Villa Antigua called for many arches to accomplish that true Antiguan/Mediterranean authentic feel.
Gas stove
The majority of homes in Costa Rica are electric. Since more avid cooks prefer gas, we decided that’s what we would install.
12” block walls
While nearly all construction in Costa Rica is 8”, we went with 12” block for many walls for the strength and visual impact.
Raising the Villa 3.5 feet from the ground not only eliminates any chance of looding issues, it adds the ‘wow’ factor upon entry. We had to excavate six feet of sand & backfill with construction dirt, cement pilasters and rebar to accomplish this goal.
Large lot:
1256 sq. meters (13,400 sq. ft) The land of the Villa extends well beyond the river into the jungle. One idea was to design an arched walking bridge to the river island and install a garden and picnic area.
Secure from extreme neighbor construction
We researched the neighbor planos and were told that due to the small size of the access road to the rear of the Villa, high rise condos were not an option. In addition, the lot extends so far into the jungle (and with ten meter river set backs) that any construction to the front would not only be difficult, but also would not be visible.
Ocean viewing deck addition
Another idea is to design and build an ocean viewing deck, with spiral staircase.
Security
Glass/ iron doors and windows include three locking mechanisms:
1- Digital locks with changeable codes eliminates the need for keys if desired.
2- Key locks add another level of security
3- Interior mechanical eyelets allow for security even with glass breakage.
Five Security cameras provide 24 hour surveillance. Internet viewable access allows owners to log on and view there home from anywhere, anytime.
8 ft perimeter wall provides owner privacy and isolation from neighbors.
Roofs
With the high levels of rain during the green season, reliable roofing and oversized gutters provide worry free living. We added a layer of rubberized coating to the aluminum sheeting beneath the clay roof tiles to guard against leakage.
Garage
An oversized garage provides for easy storage for two cars and other vehicles like motorcycles, quads and athletic gear like surfboards and mountain bikes. There’s ample room for addition of more owner lock-offs or cabinets.
Details
Authentic Guatemalan roof tiles, hand painted flooring tiles throughout, acid washed kitchen floor, bamboo interior details to roofs, brick details throughout, solid wood custom doors, recessed lighting, terraza/ interior fans, poured in place concrete acid stained countertops, owner lock-offs, stone walls, Villa can be locked off to act as 2,3,4 or 5 bedroom, solar activated landscape lights, oversized water heater, plasma tvs, hi end audio/video system wired to upgrade at anytime, recessed speakers throughout, designer kitchen line of appliances, oversized refrigerator.