CASA MORANO

Casa Morano is a single family residence located in Ciudad Colón, San José, designed for a mother and her daughter who were looking for a modern style home adapted to the area’s warm climate, prioritizing comfort, functionality, and natural ventilation. One of the main challenges of the project was working with a lot that slopes downward from the street, which required a design strategy that would make the most of the site without creating multiple interior levels.

Upon entering the house, the first floor is organized through a hallway that distributes the functional spaces. On the left side, there is a spacious and well ventilated laundry area, with upper louvered enclosures that allow constant airflow. Next is a guest bedroom, naturally ventilated and lit thanks to an internal garden. This is followed by a full guest bathroom, making the room suitable not only for visitors but also for extended stays or use as a secondary bedroom.

On the right side of the hallway, a staircase becomes one of the architectural highlights of the project. Framed by large windows facing the front and rear gardens, the staircase is not only a functional connector but also a visual transition that brings natural light into the heart of the home.

At the end of the hallway, the house opens into a single, open concept social area where the kitchen, dining, and living room coexist without divisions, creating a sense of spaciousness an ideal response to the narrow, elongated shape of the lot. This area integrates directly with the rear terrace through sliding glass doors, and a set of deck style steps gently connects this level to the back garden, allowing the residents to enjoy the outdoors in a comfortable and sheltered environment.

On the second floor, a small TV room acts as a vestibule between the two main bedrooms. Each room has its own private bathroom and walk-in closet, providing privacy, independence, and comfort to its users. The overall design was conceived to promote cross ventilation, maintain fresh interior conditions year-round, and maximize every square meter of the lot without compromising spatial quality or aesthetics.

Casa Morano is a clear example of how thoughtful, context sensitive design can successfully address the challenges posed by both topography and climate without sacrificing style, functionality, or comfort.