Czech studios, Formafatal and Refuel Works, were commissioned to design this house for rent, on a hillside over the Pacific Ocean, on Playa Hermosa, in Puntarenas province, in southern Costa Rica

The property is located relatively close to the small town of Uvita, situated on a large 2 Ha plot, on a jungle hill overlooking Playa Hermosa. Art Villa is part of the Art Villas complex comprising three pieces: The Art Villa, The Atelier (a house with a green roof) and The Coco (a multifunctional pavilion).
Architecture firm Formafatal, led by Dagmar Štěpánová, collaborating with architecture studio Refuel Works, led by Jan Skoupý, Zbyněk Ryška and Kamila Petráková, completed the 570sqm rentable residence.

The studios designed the two-storey structure to reference the tropical landscape and buildings by Mendes da Rocha, which are known for their monolithic concrete forms.
 
"When designing the interiors, we found inspiration not only in the surrounding wild jungle, but also in the work of the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha," the studio said.
 

Project description by Formafatal

Art Villa

Out of all the villas in the Art Villas complex, this majestic concrete villa was the first to be designed, as well as finished. The bright minds behind the architectural concept of the building belong to the Refuel Works studio.

The investor approached the Formafatal studio concerning interior design solutions while the planning and preparations were still in progress.

The two-storey villa holds a prominent spot on the premises of 25,000m2, with a floor area of 570 m2. Apart from the generous common area (foyer, main living room, kitchen with a dining room, and the roofed terrace by the pool), the villa is equipped with a total of 5 bedrooms with private bathrooms. In the basement, there is a playroom for the children, a gym, a dance hall, a walk-in closet, a laundry room and utility rooms.

When designing the interiors, we found inspiration not only in the surrounding wild jungle, but also in the work of the Brazilian architect Paulo Mendez da Rocha.

The concrete walls are deliberately left raw, complementing the interior components, selected materials, water, and greenery – all together creating an unusual environment, both rough and luxurious.

The bedrooms and bathrooms feature cement ornamental tiled floors, custom-made over the border in Nicaragua. The ever-changing patterns and colours are a reflection of the elusive and unique nature of every moment in time. Every step leads to a change.

The hand-painted watercolour jungle motif on the kitchen backsplash is another interior highlight. Serving as a mirror reflecting life behind the wall, the wall becomes a window allowing us to see the nature outside.

Art Villa, as well as Atelier Villa, is for the most part furnished with furniture designed and custom-made by local craftsmen or manufactured in the Czech Republic and then brought to the site.

The custom pieces go well together with several armchairs of a shared origin – they were all designed by South American designers and architects.

Teak wood, metal, and linen – these materials dominate in the villa interiors, and together with custom made furniture pieces in secondary pastel and bright colours, truly bring the raw concrete monolithic interior to life with a touch of softness.

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Architects
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FormafatalRefuel Works. Archtiects.- Dagmar Štěpánová, Martina Homolková. Architects co-designers.- Jan Skoupý, Zbyněk Ryška.
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Collaborators
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Landscape architect - greenery and garden elements.- Atelier Flera. Realization of screed surfaces.- Different Design. Jungle watercolor painting.- Můj Originál.
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Client
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Area
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Built-up area.- 618m².
Usable floor area.- 570 m².
Site size.- 25,000 m².
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Dates
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Project year.- 2017 - 2018. Completion year.- 2016 - 2019 (completed in December 2019).
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Location
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Bahía Ballena, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica.
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Materials
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Teak | custom made furniture designed by Formafatal.
Brasilian  nut-tree/IPE | custom made furniture designed by Formafatal, terraces.
Steel | custom made furniture designed by Formafatal.
Concrete | walls, floors, ceiling.
Cement screed | walls, custom made furniture designed by Formafatal.
Cement tiles - Granada Tiles Nicaragua.
Ceramic tiles| kitchen wall with watercolor painting designed by Formafatal.
Linnen | curtains, upholstered furniture designed by Formafatal.
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Products and brands
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Furniture.-
FDC1 chair | Objekto.
Paulistano chair | Objekto.
Butterfly/BKF chair | Manufaktur+.
Acapulco chair | OK design.
Duna lounge chair | Mula Preta.
Nesting coffee table set, Round tray coffee table set | Notre Monde.
Urbano and Hexagonal chairs | SDLZ.

Lighting.-
Shibari | Bomma.
Bell | Baxter.
Line Voltage Track | Wac Lighting.
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Photography
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Studio Formafatal was founded by architect Dagmar Štěpánová, and the team is now integrated by Dagmar, Jan, Martina, Katarina, Iveta, Dana, Anna, and Debora. The team of friends - architects, designers, and scenographers- focused on architecture, interior design, exhibition installation, and product design.

Dagmar Štěpánová graduated from the Faculty of Architecture - Czech Technical University in Prague. After twelve years of architecture practice, she founded her own studio Formafatal, which has existed for the fifth year. The architect carefully selected each member for her studio and claims that together they form amazing team. Formafatal is like a family to her.

8-member team of architects, scenographers and designers is currently working on several commercial and residential projects not only in Czech Republic, but across the world. Formafatal studio has already won several domestic and international awards for their projects.

Already during her studies, she loved the culture and architecture of South and Central America. The Art Villas project has made her dream come true and Dagmar is currently building a branch for her Formafatal studio in Costa Rica. “You need to have dreams and follow your goal. For me it means to do everything I can to deepen my experience, to work on myself and what fills me most”.

The individual approach for each project is based on mutual understanding with the client, enthusiasm, natural collaboration, and unified conceptual solutions. They solve projects complexly from creative concept to realization, with attention to detail.
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Refuel works, is an architecture firm established by the architects, Jan Skoupý, Zbyněk Ryška and Kamila Petráková. The studio is located in Prague, in Brno, Czech republic, EU.
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Published on: May 30, 2020
Cite: "Concrete plans to mark the horizon. Art Villa by Formafatal and Refuel Works" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/concrete-plans-mark-horizon-art-villa-formafatal-and-refuel-works> ISSN 1139-6415
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