The Black House is located along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It has been developed as a new prototype for the modular No Footprint House series (NFH). The climate-responsive design of the NFH variations is 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 integral 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 multi-award winning first NFH prototype in 2018, a broad range of building typologies have been built. At the same time, new and alternative construction materials have been developed and integrated to continuously improve the overall project performance while stimulating local and circular economies within the country.
Costa Rica is defined by a unique level of biodiversity, which itself is derived from a series of micro-climates. The design of the Black House responds to the cooler and mountainous climates of Costa Rica. The overall goal of the NFH project is to create an interrelated series of model homes for all of the climatic conditions within the country, providing affordable and sustainable solutions for inhabiting the local tropical habitat. These case study homes illustrate the potential of decarbonized housing, based on a broader roadmap to decarbonize Costa Rica sector- and country-wide. The Black House was built as a three-level steel structure with wooden finishes, providing the spaces for its owners to live and work in one compact unit. All wooden components are made from local and certified providers. The customized furniture pieces and doors support the architectural layout. Mobile elements are designed to support adaptable uses for the specific rooms of the house, modifying the spatial relationships according to occupancies and necessities. Operable facade elements open the building interiors towards their natural surroundings, resulting in a symbiotic relationship among nature and the built environment.
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