Black House (Casa Negra)

The Black House is located along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It has been developed as a prototype for the multi-award-winning building series called No Footprint House (NFH). The climate-responsive designs of the NFH variations are based on passive strategies such as site-specific positioning and the use of natural resources for cross ventilation, solar shading and energy production, as well as rainwater harvesting and biological water filtration. Industrial building techniques and prefabricated components form an inherent part of the project in order to create a high level of efficiency that can be delivered to any target location. Since the creation of the first NFH prototype in 2018, new and alternative construction materials have been developed and integrated to stimulate local and circular economies. A broad range of building typologies has been built to continuously improve the project performance. The materialization of the structural components and finishes can be selected and adjusted according to the budget and taste of each individual client, as well as the site-specific necessities in Costa Rica. The tropical country is defined by a unique level of biodiversity, which itself is derived from a series of micro-climates. In this context, the Black House is designed for the cooler and mountainous climates. It is built as a three-level steel structure with wooden finishes, providing space for its owners to live and work in one compact unit. All wood is FSC-certified and sustainably grown in Costa Rica. Operable facade elements open the building interiors towards their natural surroundings, resulting in a symbiotic relationship among nature and the built environment. Solar energy is harvested on top of the roof for this self-sufficient service configuration. Fresh water is provided from a nearby river. Used water is biologically filtered before it returns to the river, resulting in a respectful and practical use of natural resources. The overall goal of the NFH project is to create model homes for all of the climatic variations, providing adequate and sustainable solutions for living and co-existing with the local tropical habitat. A series of interrelated case study homes illustrate the potential and create a new aesthetic of decarbonized and integrally sustainable homes, based on a larger roadmap to level carbon emissions in all sectors of the Costa Rican economy. The modular approach of the Black House and the systemic NFH toolkit result in a versatile proposal for sustainable living, the first of its kind in Central America. The NFH is designed to blend with its natural surroundings and minimize the impact of construction on the environment. It offers a wide range of adjustable, affordable and replicable solutions to cater for a broad customer segment. The project seeks comprehensive sustainability in terms of its environmental, economic, social and spatial performance.