Architecture & Design.
ARCHITECTURALLY, ESCUCHA IS MOST LIKELY A DEPARTURE FROM THE HOME YOU KNOW.
Yet it will be instinctively familiar, immediately comfortable and, you will feel, decidedly meant for you.
Escucha confirms that architecture can be a place for inspiration & congregation and even dares to enhance your experience - a magnificent bridge between you, the plants, the animals & the ocean. Escucha is here to encourage us to discover evocative places around us & within us. To respect our natural environment, commune more with it, consume less of it.
Inviting the eye,
rewarding the touch.
The connections Escucha helps cultivate are not only with nature, they are also with each other.
Escucha speaks to people with a desire to unwind & relax, who are open to meet others, explore ideas & share experiences new & old. Here again the main staircase is not only the thoroughfare for coming & going, it, like the Spanish Steps in Rome, is the nucleus of connection fostering spontaneous conversations & intentional congregation.
The Agora features the salt-water pool & sun deck, rooftop picnic lounge, open kitchen, communal dining & lounge, the Astro-Donut + a micro-amphitheater offering limitless opportunity for hanging out, planned meals or the perfect random encounter.
Appealing to those with a mind for design, the carefully chosen materials & furnishings will be of elevated aesthetic.
Inviting the eye, rewarding the touch.
The PISOS.
EACH PISO WILL BE FURNISHED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM commensurate with the luxe lodge experience.
Buyers will direct the essential look & feel of their Piso by choosing one of two aesthetic moods. Each will enjoy individual touches while maintaining the level of consistency & continuity necessary for the rental function to ensure the highest possible investment returns.
Mmmmmm is a neutral-warm palette of materials & colors which will evoke a cozier, sexier feeling.
Ahhhhhhh is neutral-cool, evoking a calmer, more spa-like feeling.
Some other choices may be made by the buyer from a list of pre-determined options.
EACH PISO has 1 or 2 bedrooms & bathrooms, a well-appointed kitchen, seamless outdoor balconies & a climate-controlled space to store personal items while away or in residence.
In an effort to reduce carbon foot print, parking spaces will be assigned on an as-needed basis.
The 2-bed, 2 bath is approximately 1,450 sq.ft.
The 1-bed, 1 bath is approximately 1,300 sq.ft.
One purpose of Escucha is to bring you closer to nature - to maximize the benefits of the waves, the birds & the breeze. To foster that, Escucha’s architecture is designed to capture the ocean’s cool breezes & the jungle’s abundant shade, keeping each Piso naturally cool.
While going alfresco will be encouraged, fret not, all bedrooms have air conditioning.
(click above for floorplans)
Environmental Awareness & Sustainability.
It is our intention to enjoyably increase our guests’ awareness of the natural environment, from plant & animal life to the consumption of water & electricity.
The architecture is intended to blur the lines between indoor & outdoor, to maximize natural cooling & reduce the need for mechanical cooling. We will generate as much solar electricity as possible, employ gray water recycling and feature a natural “biodigester” for all black water treatment.
Landscape & Permaculture.
The natural jungle environment in which Escucha resides is as important as the built environment.
Escucha is working with local landscape designers & environmentalists to enhance the existing jungle environment.
We will plant native flora to attract endemic species of birds, butterflies & other valuable insects which will then, of course, create a stimulating environment for us people.
To minimize the disturbance of the natural environment, maximize the feeling of being in nature & manage rain water flow, wherever possible we will use permeable ground cover & permaculture in lieu of hardscape & retaining walls.
The Architect.
Studio Saxe is an award-winning practice founded on the belief that buildings must connect to their landscape - whether a tropical paradise or a concrete jungle.
Benjamin Garcia Saxe is an internationally acclaimed architect based in San Jose, Costa Rica. He was the youngest partner in the firm of renowned British architect Sir Richard Rogers (Pompidou Center, Paris).
Along with numerous private residences in several countries, Studio Saxe has designed The Mint Hotel and Gilded Iguana Hotel in Costa Rica. A multitude of Ben’s projects have been featured in Wallpaper, Dwell, PLAIN, Domus and Dezeen.
As they like to say: Thoughtful design doesn’t require much added technology; true sustainability responds to natural conditions to minimize resource use and maximize beautiful sensory experiences.
Sound a lot like Escucha?
Now you, too, understand why Benjamin Saxe.
International recognition includes:
Best Luxury Tropical Residential Architecture Firm Build Magazine, 2019
A leading, forward-thinking architect for the 21st Century 21 for 21 Awards, World Architecture News, 2103
World’s Best Private House World Architecture Festival, 2010
Best Residential Building World Architecture Community Awards, 2010
The Builder.
Any idea or design is only as good as the people building it.
Jorge Ramírez studied architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico, Urbanism in Leuven, Belgium and is a self-taught sculptor and installation artist. He has more than 25 years of professional experience in design, planning and construction and, for 15 years, has built a strong connection to the Riviera Nayarit. More recently his firm P20 Arquitectos has concentrated in the burgeoning pueblo of San Pancho, having designed and built several of its most intriguing buildings including the recently completed 11,000 sq. foot boutique hotel Casa Palmita.
Jorge believes that architecture should responsibly integrate the human being with the natural environment.
As a builder with vast experience in the processes and construction systems required for jungle and beach environments, a broad artistic, environmental, legal and social vision - and integrity, above all - Jorge Ramirez will bring Escucha to life
His design and construction work has been recognized with several awards:
Best House, North Pacific Biennial 2017
Sustainable Design Biennial 2011
Escucha - listen with all your senses.
San Pancho, Mexico