Oficinas Carazo - Carazo Arquitectura

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PROJECT
OFICINAS CARAZO

YEAR
2019

TYPOLOGY
OFFICE

AREA
457 M²

STATUS
BUILT

LOCATION
CATEDRAL,
SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA

PHOTOGRAPHER
ALVARO FONSECA

CASA ANAHATA IS A HILLSIDE RESIDENCE IN ESCAZÚ, COSTA RICA, CONCEIVED AS A CALM REFUGE OVERLOOKING THE CENTRAL VALLEY. BUILT ON A STEEP SITE, THE PROJECT REINTERPRETS TROPICAL LIVING THROUGH OPEN, TEMPERED, AND INTERCONNECTED SPACES SHAPED BY LIGHT, VEGETATION, AND LANDSCAPE.

Named after Anahata, the heart chakra associated with balance and openness, the house translates this concept into an architectural structure organized around a generous central void. This open space becomes the “heart” of the home—a stabilizing element that brings light, air, and vegetation into the interior while allowing the surrounding volumes to remain visually and spatially connected. It acts as the project’s point of equilibrium, fostering a sense of calm, coherence, and centered living. The design follows our three-layer biophilic methodology. At the intimate scale, natural materials, filtered daylight, and cross ventilation cultivate a direct sensory relationship with the environment.

At the architectural scale, elevated volumes, planted boundaries, and open-air rooms dissolve distinctions between inside and outside, creating spaces that feel permeable yet protected. At the territorial scale, the house frames expansive views of the Central Valley, integrating the region’s changing climate and horizon into daily experience. The program adapts to the topography with a tiered organization. A recessed lower floor houses parking, service areas, and a recreational space. The main level contains the social core—living, dining, kitchen, an office— and a bridge-like terrace with a firepit projecting outward. The upper level gathers the master suite and secondary bedrooms, oriented either toward the valley or toward the central courtyard, reinforcing its role as the home’s spatial and symbolic center. Photovoltaic panels and solar water heaters on the roof support passive environmental performance.

Casa Anahata expresses a contemporary, understated approach to tropical architecture—quiet, centered, and fully attuned to its surroundings. Through its courtyard “heart” and layered biophilic principles, the home embodies our belief in designing spaces where climate, topography, and sensory experience shape the architecture itself.