Toriumi Residence

Set on an elevated lot in Brasilito, a short distance from Playa Flamingo and oriented toward the expansive views of the Golfo de Papagayo, Toriumi is an exclusive single-family residence which reinterprets the Costa Rican vernacular for a contemporary luxury program, drawing on the climatic intelligence of traditional Guanacaste architecture — deep hipped roofs, generous overhangs, and a perimeter of shaded outdoor rooms — while resolving it through a refined material palette and a precise tectonic expression.

The plan unfolds across two levels around a central courtyard organized around a mature tree, which becomes the symbolic and spatial heart of the house. From there, the architecture extends outward through ample terraces and timber decks, framed by wooden pergolas that filter the strong Pacific sun and prolong the roofline into the landscape. White structural columns articulate the façade with rhythm and depth, contrasting against deep charcoal walls and large floor-to-ceiling glazing that erase the threshold between interior living spaces and the surrounding views.

The exterior is conceived as a continuous landscape of water, wood, and fire: a sculpted pool wraps the house in a soft, almost moat-like geometry, crossed by timber walkways and punctuated by a circular fire pit that anchors the gathering area. The pairing of opposing elements — water encircling fire, dark mass framed by white structure, architecture rooted by a single tree — gives the residence its distinct identity and a quiet, ceremonial atmosphere appropriate to its setting.