Sustainability

International Interior Design Association Award Winning Project

I designed a self sustaining off the grid eco-retreat to be located on a mountain top in Uvita, Costa Rica. The name of the eco-resort is “Diquis" named after the pre-Columbian indigenous people’s word for “Great Waters”. While developing the concept of this resort, I wanted to create a space where the guests would be able to live in harmony with the water and lavish in its beauty. I utilized a hydro-electroic power generation system and designed a biomimicry based cooling system inspired by the Costa Rican, Morpho butterfly to create an eco-friendly resort. This is a destination for people to experience and to connect with and become one with nature. 

Day time and night time

Bath space and bedroom 

Sendero Estrangulador, Rainforest

We hiked to a mountain top and stayed at a sheltered area where there was no electricity or gas available.

The universe and celestial bodies, earth and creatures, humans and nature, and body and soul, everything in this world is connected and effect each other.  This new and unique eco-retreat “DIQUIS” connects the past and future of human living.  Diquis provides an off grid building experience, inspiring nature tours, thrilling activities, and sensory experiences for the guests to fully connect with nature and their lives. 

Demographic is forward thinkers from around the world.

The landscape design represents Costa Rica earth elements, such as mountains, volcanoes, river, plants, flowers and ocean.

A.  Diquis Stone (Origin of water):  The stone spheres of Costa Rica (circa 600AD) were first discovered on the Diquis Delta in 1940’s and over three hundred of these stones have been excavated since. The purpose of these stones is still unknown.  The source of water starts from the tip of the stone, flows over the dish and runs down onto the floor and finally emerges into the lake.  This space connects the guests with nature through the use ofvaried sensory experiences.

B.  Bio Pool:  All clarifying and purifying of the water is achieved through biological filters and plants rooted hydroponically in the system.  The lake has an area of 9,327 sq ft so for every inch of rainfall, the laske will harvest 4,213 gallons of water.  The water in the lake also generates hydro power by using the slope of the mountain which feeds to the guest rooms.

C.  Main Building/ Reception & Restaurant:  The form of the building almost apears like an alphabetical “A”  which indicates a symbiotic relationship with nature. The roof and the walls are leaning against each other which creates the total symbiotic relationship of the entire buidling structure. 

D.  Triangle Fountain (Mountain):  This triangle fountain represents Cerro Chirripó,  the highest mountain in Costa Rica.  In the garden, geometric shapes are used in the design to express the ancient culture of Costa Rica.

E.  Inspirational Moment (Lookout space):  Here you will find a poem made by the indigenous people. Its engraved into the stone. It says “we are… wind, mountains, water, flowers, soil… rain, and sun”.  This is the space to experience a wonderful inspirational moment.

In the early morning, while camping in the Rain Forest, I saw this beautiful blue morpho butterfly flying gracefully across the forest. This butterfly is rare to find and is considered to be an endengered species. I could not forget this impressive encounter with the butterfly, and kept remebering it even after I came back home.

After returning home to the USA, I researched the morpho butterfly and their wings to see how their film like thin body functions. Butterfly wings are made of two chitonous layers (membranes) that are nourished and supported by tubular veins. The veins also function in oxygen exchange (“breathing”).  Butterflies are poikilothermic (cold blooded) so their body temperature is about the same as the surrounding temperature therefore it requires less energy to sustain. When a butterfly flies, its cooling their veins and regulating its temperature. This cooling body mechanism gave me an idea to further develop my self sustaining eco-retreat. 

Design Concept

I imagined what if a house had a cooling mechaism like a buterfly wings,  that maybe we can craete a naturally powered cooling system for the eco-house.  

Costa Rica has a lot of rain throughout the year and there is a great off shore wind browing over the mountain top. By utilizing all of the natural resources, I createda hydro-electroic power generation system and designed a biomimicry based cooling system inspired by the Costa Rican, Morpho butterfly.

A butterfly wing inspired natural draft / water passive cooling system design

Materials used:  clay, paper, wood and metal mesh

CNC topographic landscape

Observing nature in the rain forest