Unobtrusive Luxury, Anyone?

A new era of luxury development has begun in Costa Rica with a light on land approach that ensures the protection of the land, its resources and people

- Li Haohan

Environmental preservation was a top priority in the development of Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. Located in Costa Rica’s Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the development sought to honour Costa Rica’s position as a prime ecotourism destination, and one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

“We drew up a site-sensitive design that wove tree-house-type structures and tents alongside villas, with a light-on-land approach that allows the design to be guided by the natural, steep contours of the land,” Jorey Shoshanna Friedman, Vice President and Principal of SB Architects explains.

Before starting, SB Architects worked alongside EDSA to create an in-depth tree survey and a development constraint map to inform the basis of the design, from planning for breath-taking view corridors to protecting animal habitats.

The design required sensitivity to the site’s rich landscape and natural contours, treading lightly and integrating with the indigenous ecosystem to preserve the area’s biodiversity and natural resources.