© Andrés García Lachner

Architects: Juan Robles
Location: Península de Osa, Costa Rica
Project Team: Juan Robles, Emilio Quirós, Adriana Serrano, Andrea Solano, Isabel Bello, Marcelo Pontigo, Bernardo Sauter,Bernd Loh
Built Area: 420 sqm
Date: 2010
Photographs: Andrés García Lachner

© Andrés García Lachner

CONCEPT
Casa Mecano function as an organism composed by a structure, skin and a mechanism that adapts the its environment. The project maximize the use of passive design strategies through biocli matic architecture in sinergy with the integration of a Building Management System that operate the glazingvents in order to achieve the thermal comfort levels, adequate for the tropical environment.

© Andrés García Lachner

At the same time, the team designed a manual system that allows the client to change the in clination of a sail, with the goal of controlling the direct sunlight projected inside the house. The project maximize function in the smallests pace possible, reducing the footprint and allowing the minimum use of construction materials.
BASIS OF DESIGN:
1. SITE
a. It is located at the top of a hill, where the natural ventilation and theviews are taken into advantage
b. The total footprint is a 5.3% of the total plot allowing the habit atres toration and permeability
c. The natural to pography was previouslydeveloped, so the project team took advantage of the property characteristics to control thee rosionduring the construction process

© Andrés García Lachner

CLIMATE
a. Temperature: 26.8 degrees Celsius
b. Relative Humidity: 83.8%
c. Rain: 406 (mm Hg)
3. ENERGY
a. The design team assembled a basic layout to reduce the size of the project, and the amount of area that need silumination and construction materials
b. The project includes a gas system for kitchen, BBQ Dryer and a Solar Water Heater, install edon the roof in order to reduce the energy bill
c. Lighting design include a minimum amount of lighting fixtures and the use of energy efficient lighting. The BMS helps to control the amount of light in the different ambiences within the spaces

4. WATER
a. The amount of rain in theareais406 (mm Hg), this way the rain water is harvested in a 10m3 tank which is used for irrigation
b. Permeable surfaces in the project hard scape and natural landscape, help water absorption back in the soil
5. MATERIALS
a. The main project goal is to minimize the amount of construction materials needed
b. The steel structural system is modular, allowing the reduction of construction debris
c. The roof panels allow the reduction of roof supports as they have a great structural capacity
d. The materials chosen are low maintenance

© Andrés García Lachner

6. ENVIRONMENT
Goals:
a. Use of low emitting products
b. Thermal comfort acheived with the use of passive strategies
c. Natural ventilation
d. Natural ilumination
e. Interior / Exterior integration
f. Adequate internal accoustics

7. TECHNOLOGY
a. The project maximize the use of passive design strategies through bio climatic architecture in sinergy with the integration of a Building Management System that operate the glazingvents in order to achieve the thermal confort levels, adequate for the tropical environment. At the same time, the team designed a manual system that allows the client to change the inclination of a sail, with the goal of controlling the direct sunlight projected inside the house, achieving good sinergy between design and technology

diagram 01 et 02

8. INNOVATION
a. The use of low cost technology is inside the project requirements that is why mechanisms are specially designed and built, allowing the movement of sails to respond to the natural climate and adapt as a living organism

9. PROCESS
a. The design process represents the opportunity to evaluate, prevent and improve the concepts and strategies applied to the house design
b. The local communities are taken into consideration since the begining of the project in order to use the regional resources and reinforce their isolated economies.

Cite:
King , Victoria . "Mecano House / Juan Robles" 27 Mar 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 29 Mar 2012.