

maria josé trejos fills containers of casa incubo with eco-sustainable solutions

photo © sergio pucci

all images courtesy of maria josé trejos

in costa rica, eight shipping containers compose ‘casa incubo’ designed by architect maria josé trejos. the residence is not only surrounded by the nature of the country, but also surrounds it as the structure encloses a large cedar tree. this feature represents the encompassing idea of the project as an icon of sustainability. by reusing transport objects, costs were minimized and the completion time was shortened by 20%. the impact on the environment and generation of CO2 were also reduced, as the details of the house make the most of the climatic elements. the central module, with its double height space, acts as a lung with crossed ventilation and the west façade is glazed to let in natural light so that during the daytime it is unnecessary to use electric fixtures.



the central area, used for both social and work purposes, is delimited by two rows of containers

photo © sergio pucci

the home must also be used as a workplace for the owner, a professional photographer, who needs open spaces with a sufficient amount of light; a space that coincides with the ‘work and play’ philosophy while aiding creativity. a central 95m² area that can be used both for professional and personal purposes was formed by interconnecting and superposing containers. ‘the house dresses and undresses according to what you want to use it for,’ explains the architect, ‘be it a living room, an audiovisual space, a photographic or advertising studio.’



reusable 40’ high cube containers were used

photo © sergio pucci

the first floor acts as an area for social activities, with a volume to the right of the main living room that provides a photo gallery. to the left, several other pieces present an office, dining room, and kitchen that open towards a patio that presided by a cedar tree. so as to not break the continuity of the kitchen, it was fitted with the line-L in white from the spanish kitchen manufacturer santos, a quartz tabletop, and a breakfast bar made with wood.



wood obtained from cutting branches of the cedar tree was used for the breakfast bar in the kitchen and the table legs

photo © sergio pucci



the kitchen was fitted with the line-L model from santos kitchens, so as not to break the visual continuity of the area

photo © sergio pucci

on the second floor, one of the containers has been strategically placed to create a terrace on top and a porch below. inside are the private spaces of the bedrooms and a studio. from here, an outdoor pathway that leads to the stairs and the rooftop garden on the third floor that can be used as a sun deck for relaxation.



the third floor has a rooftop garden

photo © sergio pucci



the northwest façade is covered with moveable bamboo panels designed to protect the interior spaces from the sunlight

photo © sergio pucci



the house surrounds a cedar tree

photo © sergio pucci



it is possible to go from the first floor to the ground floor by sliding down an original steel bar

photo © sergio pucci



the use of containers for the construction gives the design a striking contrast

photo © sergio pucci



diagram of eco-sustainable solutions



floor plans

project info:

name: casa incubo (incubo house)

location: escazú, san josé, costa rica

completed: september 2012 – february 2013

site area: 544,97 m2

built area: 400m2

architect: maria josé trejos

structural engineer: mauricio carranza of AESA ingenieros consultores

electromechanical design: sergio gonzález rodríguez

lighting design: estudio 27

interior design: maría josé trejos and sergio pucci

photography: sergio pucci (www.photographyincostarica.com )

collaborating companies: santos costa rica (kitchen), extralum (windows), sonus (audiovisual equipment), bambú y maderas S.A (bamboo floors), bambutico (moveable bamboo panels)

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.