a series of porous brick partitions enclose central garden within costa rica residence

Casa Chavarria unfolds around a central interior garden

Casa Chavarria by Carazo Arquitectura is organized around an interior garden that operates as a central spatial and environmental element rather than a decorative feature. Positioned at the core of the house, the garden regulates ventilation, daylight, and degrees of privacy, structuring both the plan and the sequence of domestic spaces. It functions simultaneously as a point of transition and as a spatial anchor within the dwelling.

Located in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, the project is conceived through a gradual transition between open and enclosed conditions. A series of porous boundaries defines movement from shared areas to more private rooms, allowing exterior conditions to permeate the interior. These transitions establish a spatial rhythm that integrates outdoor and indoor environments without relying on framed views.

all images courtesy of Carazo Arquitectura

Carazo Arquitectura employs concrete, wood, and brick

The design team at Carazo Arquitectura selects a material palette that reinforces this approach. Exposed concrete, teak wood, and modular brick are used to articulate varying levels of openness and enclosure. These materials support passive environmental strategies by enabling airflow, filtering light, and moderating the relationship between the house and its surrounding landscape.

Rather than treating nature as a visual backdrop, the design incorporates it as an organizing architectural element. Vegetation, light, and air shape the spatial experience of the house, contributing to environmental comfort and defining how the dwelling is occupied.

Casa Chavarria is located in Puntarenas, Costa Rica

vegetation organizes ventilation and daylight within the house

porous boundaries connect shared and private spaces

spatial rhythm is established through layered thresholds

modular brick partitions mediate openness and enclosure

Casa Chavarria is structured around a central interior garden

the garden functions as both transition and spatial anchor

the architecture achieves a gradual transition between open and enclosed conditions

project info:

name: Casa Chavarria
architect: Carazo Arquitectura | @carazoarquitectura

location: Puntarenas, Costa Rica

area: 97 sqm

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom