coleman davis pagan arquitectos: casa mar

‘casa mar’ by coleman-davis pagan arquitectos, san juan, puerto rico image © josé fernando vázquez pérez all images courtesy of coleman-davis pagan arquitectos

san juan-based coleman-davis pagan arquitectos have recently completed ‘casa mar’, an ocean-front residence in san juan, puerto rico. buffering from the adjacent beach, the habitable spaces of this residential building are interconnected with a linear staircase, focusing attention to the water. three flights of stairs are housed within a terracotta-tinted, cast-in-place sculptural concrete volume pierced with skylights and frame windows, permeating the the space with soft natural daylight. double height spaces allow diagonal views through the rooms celebrating the view as the focus of the space. the program is elevated from ground level to buffer from the frequented public beach and protect from possible hurricanes and storm surges.

view from street image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

a concrete brise-soleil comprised of deep overhangs and vertical fins protects from solar heat gain. a roof deck is bordered with a photovoltaic-paneled pergola to generate a majority of the energy consumed while providing shade and protection for the a/c compressors. hot water is supplied with a vacuum tube solar heater and rainwater is harvested and stored within the cistern at ground level contributing to the pool and landscaping.

view of building from the beach image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

concrete bris-soleil facade image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

concrete brise-soleil facade detail images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

pool image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

(left) pool (right) roof deck images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

(left) roof deck (right) sculptural pigmented concrete facade treatment images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

skylights image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

(left) ground level living room (right) stairs images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

first floor image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

(left) stairs to ground level (right) corridor images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

dining room image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

aerial view of dining room image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

bedroom image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

internal face of sculptural facade image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

(left) upward view of skylights (right) skylights images © josé fernando vázquez pérez

aerial view image © josé fernando vázquez pérez

floor plan / level 0 1. entrance 2. refuse area + generator 3. underground cistern 4. pool 5. outdoor living 6. terrace bar 7. elevator 8. bathroom 9. bbq area 10. storage area 11. garage