Located in San Jose de Costa Rica, HOUSE OF HOUSES is a project developed by YUSO together with an extraordinary family: a US-American professor and single mother, her daughter, and son —who only live at home a few days per week as they spend the remaining time with their other mother and father—, and their grandfather, who has an active and independent life.
© Roberto D´ambrosio
From the offset, the project presented a design challenge; to create a house of 136 m2 of construction, in a lot of 200 m2 of useful area that had to conform to the specific requirements of each of the inhabitants and reaffirm their identities. The first step was to analyze how we could distribute the spaces in a narrow and elongated lot, depending on the space program required. From this, we proposed to have internal patios to be able to ventilate and illuminate all the rooms in the best possible way which, at the same time, served to separate the nuclei for each one of the inhabitants. This way, the project was divided into three units (HOUSES): one for the grandfather, another one for the children, and one for the mother. Each of these units would be clearly differentiated and would have its own identity based on the needs of each inhabitant. In this process, the idea of a House comprised of Houses arose; the overall project remained a single house but sub-divided into three separate units. This design offered each of the inhabitants a clearly differentiated space with both a global and individual identity without losing the connections among family members.
© Roberto D´ambrosio
At the materiality level, sustainability was the main objective. The house was modulated according to the commercial sizes of the materials used, which guaranteed that the waste on-site was minimal. Materials that could be recycled or that would easily biodegrade such as wood and bamboo were also implemented for the most part. At a bioclimatic level, the house guarantees comfort to the inhabitants through the design of internal patios that allow the use of passive mitigation strategies. It also has a rainwater collection system that supplies water to the toilets in all three bathrooms and the irrigation system for the green areas.
Project Info:
Architects: YUSO
Area: 135 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Roberto D´ambrosio
Manufacturers: Bambuplus, EPA, Ferromax, METALCO, SIPCO
Lead Architect: José Antonio Salas
Architecture Assistant: L. Esteban García
Electric Design: José Manuel Incer
Structural Design: Juan Carlos Cordero
Budget: Walter Leone
City: San Rafael
Country: Costa Rica
Madeline Brooks is a Projects Editor at Arch2O, where she has been shaping and refining architectural content since March 2024. With over a decade of experience in editorial work, she has curated, revised, and published an array of projects covering architecture, urbanism, and public space design. A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Madeline brings a strong academic foundation and a discerning editorial eye to each piece she oversees. Since joining Arch2O, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s editorial direction, with a focus on sustainability, social relevance, and cutting-edge design. Madeline excels at translating complex architectural ideas into clear, engaging stories that resonate with both industry professionals and general readers. She works closely with architects, designers, and global contributors to ensure every project is presented with clarity, depth, and compelling visual narrative. Her editorial leadership continues to elevate Arch2O’s role in global architectural dialogue.