Casadela

Case Study: CASADELA

Client: Adela Rufatti
Location: San Luis Valley, Costa Rica
Type: Private / Low-Impact / Glamping / Rental
Role: Design, Build, Consultancy, Artistic Direction
Timeline: April 2022 – January 2023

 

Challenge

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Adela approached me with the idea of building a low-impact, glamping-style space—a structure for hosting family and generating Airbnb income. The challenge was to create a self-contained, beautiful living space on steep, sloping terrain, while maintaining vehicle access and respecting the natural landscape.

At the same time, I had been exploring designs for a semi-mobile, two-story micro-home, and this project offered the perfect opportunity to bring that vision to life.

 

Vision

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The concept was to create an elevated structure that would:

• Offer panoramic views of the forest valley

• Maximize airflow and light

• Contain all core amenities (sleeping, kitchen, bathroom, storage)

• Be built using entirely reclaimed shipyard offcuts and local plantation wood

The goal was to make something sustainable, modular, beautiful, and functional.

 

Process

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Site Visit & Location Planning
We began by walking the land and choosing a site that offered both visual beauty and structural feasibility. Because of the slope, we had to be very intentional about the terrain intervention—cutting a minimal road while preserving the surrounding ecosystem.

Pre-Fab & Site Prep in Parallel

• At the shipyard, we began building the two modular units using shipbuilding offcuts

• Simultaneously, on-site earthworks and foundation prep began

 

Material Sourcing & Structural Build

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• Teak posts were harvested from a plantation 40 km away

• A post-and-beam roof was built on-site with traditional joinery

• The pre-finished units were then transported and installed:

  • The sleeper unit was hoisted to the second level and surrounded by a view-facing deck

  • The kitchen/bathroom unit was placed on the lower level with an integrated winding staircase and a custom barrel shower

 

Outcome

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The final result is a two-level living pod nestled in the hills—offering a unique rental experience and a comfortable outdoor lifestyle. Adela now hosts guests on Airbnb with consistently great reviews, and her family uses the space as a retreat.

Since construction, she's added beautiful flagstone steps and garden walls, enhancing access and giving the property a grounded, peaceful feel.

 

Materials & Sustainability

• Entire structure built from shipyard offcuts—materials that otherwise would have gone to waste

• Wood sourced from plantation-grown teak, harvested locally (within 40 km)

• Every tree used is covered by a 20:1 tree replanting ratio

• Minimal earthwork and natural landscaping preserved ecosystem integrity

• Mobile, modular construction allowed for off-site building and on-site efficiency

 

Reflection

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CASADELA was an exercise in designing with the land, not against it. It brought together my long-held interest in modular forest housing, with the real-world needs of a client looking for both beauty and income. The result is an elegant, elevated retreat that honors the site, the materials, and the spirit of slow living.