The Atelier

Boundaries Transcended: Lush Outdoor Loft Living

A juxtaposition of built environment and the abundantly fertile natural world, this striking architectural home soars as a polished loft of burnished wood and ebony steel, merging with the natural world in an extravagant jungle canopy some 300 meters above the Pacific surf. At once solidly grounded and boldly contemporary, the space is also intentionally expansive and open air with slide-away walls and transcendable openings, a design created to expand the freedom and flow between the built and organic environments.

An architectural statement home, this sharply contemporary, loft-styled villa for rent in Costa Rica transcends the boundaries between inside and out. Walls slide away. Rectilinear rooms lack fixed boundaries. And the wild natural world surrounding it offers boundless tranquility—an encounter with verdant vegetation, abundant flora, and colorful fauna within the protected confines of a stunning, design-forward home.

The creation of a couple who turned debilitating health news into an energized opportunity to seize life, this high-spirited villa in their collection of jungle properties is for those who are all about design details. While each of the couple’s courageously envisioned and patiently developed properties could be described as eclectic and minimalist in style, the three-bedroom Atelier, set within a straightforward, rectilinear footprint, is a study in polished simplicity. 

Burnt wood and polished concrete volumes surround a central living cube in glass, shaded by a raster façade. Outdoor living and dining areas are strikingly contemporary, devoid of ornamentation and covered by massive concrete ceilings. An infinity pool anchors the center of the terrace space, which offer glimpses of the rolling Pacific below. The home merges with the natural world even more via the vegetation that covers its flat roof, where an organic terrace space is accessible by ladder access. Furnishings are in keeping with the villa’s exterior design, all sleek, strong, and angular, with pops of color to enliven the dominance of the dense lush greens.

Years, diligence, and astounding chutzpah led to the creation of this series of exceptionally striking homes perched high in the trees. A collaboration of architectural audacity and imagination, each villa pushes the boundaries of convention and offers an architecturally significant alternative to the more typical jungle canopy home found in the area.

AROUND

Inspired by the laws of the jungle, this villa for rent in Costa Rica occupies a privileged perch elevated 300 meters above the Pacific Ocean, within an ambient rainforest inland from Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast at the aptly named Playa Hermosa, or beautiful beach. The coastal area is set within the Marino Ballena National Park, created as a safe space for humpback whale migration covering more than 13,000 acres of ocean and over nine miles of coastline. Comprised of mangrove forests, deserted beaches, and thriving coral reefs, local beaches are mostly wide stretches of golden sand backed by rocky coves. 

Snorkeling is a popular sport, with over a dozen species such as stony and cauliflower coral thriving in the waters. Sea turtle sightings are also frequent, in addition to the whale watching for which the coast is famed. The villa’s privileged position offers seven months of whale watching, with exceptional views out to the Whale Tail, a sand and rock formation on the coast. 

The surf town of Dominical is located nearby, and abundant natural beauty is the area’s main draw. The nearest services are located in colorful Uvita, a sweet beach community with grocery stores, a health center, and banks. Immediately surrounding the villa, the tropical forest teems with jungle life such as macaws, giant red iguanas, and spider monkeys, and vivid tropical bird life including parrots and toucans. 

On-site offerings for guests at The Atelier include yoga and fitness courses and private trainings, a Mayan sauna and massage services, children’s playroom and waterslide, cooking lessons with private chefs, and the possibility to book the location for private events, such as lectures, weddings, and retreats.

LOCATION

Playa Hermosa, Dominical, Osa, Costa Rica. Nearest airport: San Jose.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: August to April