BRIDGE HOUSE

LOCATION: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

STATUS: Completed 2014

SITE AREA: 11,500 SF

PROJECT AREA: 8,820 SF

DESIGN TEAM: José Sanchez Reyes, Jose Molina, Edi Badilla

PHOTOGRAPHY: Carlos Berrios

DESCRIPTION:

Bridge House is a primary residence located in a secluded bay in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. The site is characterized by its dramatic topography and narrow dimensions and features a steeply sloped terrain that drops 75 feet to rock formations of the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline. Located at the bottom of a hill, the natural stormwater runoff flow to the ocean carved the property into north and south sections, with a ravine in between.

Rather than diverting the runoff flow, the design concept was based on the idea of bridging over the ravine and anchoring the primary horizontal living space within the volumes on the north and south ends of the linear organization. A series of horizontal layered cantilevered planes were the unifying elements in the composition and provided shading to mitigate the harsh afternoon tropical sun. To enhance the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor living, we integrated a large sliding floor to ceiling glass sliding doors and windows which maximize the ocean views and allow for cross-ventilation. We configured the massing to respond to the terrain and minimize excavation and fill by placing a bedroom above the south side and of the main level and placing the guest quarters below the main level on the north side. Also, storage spaces and the cistern were located under each of the two perimeter overflow pools.

Programmatically, the linear, north-south plan is organized around the central common space, the “bridge”, which offers unobstructed panoramic views and contains the entry, living and dining spaces. The master en-suite bedroom is located on the north side and the kitchen, tv room, outdoor living, bbq station, and the upper pool was located on the south side.

The house features built-in custom millwork of locally harvested Cumaru and Rosewood. A simple material palette of stucco, plaster, glass and stainless steel was selected to withstand the harsh elements of the oceanfront site.