Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Topping off
Finally the roof is up and the walls are smooth just in time to receive a car filled with city building inspectors armed with notepads and tape measures exuding surprising efficiency. We passed, of course, with flying colors and according to permits down to the last centimeter. Alles gut. Gracias. Au revoir.
Now with the roof in place we can move onto windows and doors before pouring the floors. We have been so lucky with the weather cooperating and making everything move along in good pace. We couldn't wish for more.
Now with the roof in place we can move onto windows and doors before pouring the floors. We have been so lucky with the weather cooperating and making everything move along in good pace. We couldn't wish for more.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
perspectives
The sequence of pictures below help us envision the project as it all comes to life. Starting with a photo taken from the actual entry area on site we can see the two buildings just beyond the two trees. Next the crude massing model helped us understand the forms and space. Finally the 3D sketch helped us see the site from the same angle and others.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
flying beams
the roof is sailing along the beams are up and two of the roofing sheets have been placed. the building really looks quite dramatic along the main street and has become THE topic of conversation within town.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
one of the locals
seems our local resident is back just moved trees! we thought she had left... but being a sloth and only being able to move in slow motion we didn't think she'd go far and we were right she just switched trees, which still feels like a grand adventure for a sloth.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Electric is connected, water is connected and internet & phone is coming this or next week. Progress is unstoppable. In keeping with our "green" concept of reusing, recapturing, recycling and salvaging we repurposed an out of use gate we picked up cheaply in BriBri, a neighboring town, and took back to the house. Our metall worker, Reinell, is now pouring himself into making it look like new. It will be perfect in the back of the property for the delivery entrance. A local farmer happily sold us an enormous turn of the century sugar kettle that was historically used to process sugarcane juice into sugar. Its new life will be as the focal point at the entrance of KOKI beach.
Stephen, our creative mind, is now busy on his mac making a 3D model in addition to the physical model that is already decorating our temporary office in our living room while Jorge, of course, is busy with doing his usual Public Relations.
Stephen, our creative mind, is now busy on his mac making a 3D model in addition to the physical model that is already decorating our temporary office in our living room while Jorge, of course, is busy with doing his usual Public Relations.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Koki Beach Club
Finally after more then three years we are finally putting the shovel to the ground on our commercial lot in town. The location is perfect as you can't miss it as you drive thru town and it really begs for something to happen. And now the day has come.
We decided on using found objects, reclaimed wood, recycled local materials and the natural shade of a couple large trees to provide a relaxing spot on the main drag of town overlooking the beach. The bar, for example, is made of local riverstones held in large steel baskets commonly used for land retention and road construction. The main dining area is found on a raised terrace surrounding the large trees that provide a cool shade and a gentle breeze from the ocean. You have a view of the Caribbean sea from all corners of the space which is really nice.
The terrace itself is constructed from a rare redish colored hardwood that was salvaged from a fallen tree in the area.
The tables and chairs are made from the wood of an old abandoned house that stood on one of our other properties (see photo). We dismantled the house piece by piece and used the walls to make chairs and the tables are the old windows and doors. It really gives the furniture patina and tells a story. The structural beams from the house are used in the support of the terrace deck. The old tin roof now gives shelter to our nightwatch. We even salvaged an old wooden love seat left in the old shack to be refinished and put to use again in the restaurant.
We are hoping to be open by September in order to be in good shape by the time the world renowned Jaques Favre regatta arrives in November ( http://www.jacques-vabre.com/en/s03_news/s03p02_detail_actu.php?news=1223&back_mode=accueil ) bringing some 1000 contestants and collaborators from 13 countries on 62 competing crafts, 62 support vessels and some 350 journalists to our corner of Costa Rica. They have previously sailed to Brazil and Colombia along the old coffee routes but for the next four competitions their destination is Costa Rica. An opportunity that can't be missed and another reason to celebrate.
We started construction only two weeks ago on the kitchen and office - which are being topped off this week- an incredible speed for a caribbean beach town. We drove to the port city of Puerto Limon friday to get some tiles at El Mundo de la Ceramica (world of tiles) and found the tile for the kitchen and bathrooms. They had every tacky tile you have ever seen in the world and of course with the perfect boarder to boot! Yes, here is where you find what will not sell anywhere else. Well after the salesman showed us the "BEST" we wondered through every stack and pile and found some pretty interesting stuff, for the floors some large tiles that look like concrete and the kitchen walls a off white with satin finish and for the bathroom walls a tile that kinda looks like bamboo streaks in a very light off green tint, it all came together pretty nice and we all felt content driving back knowing that we accomplished all that we set out to do in only one trip. Ask anybody and they will tell you that rarely happens around here.
Sunday we took the day off and enjoyed Sangrias all day long. Ahh this is what Caribbean living is all about.
We decided on using found objects, reclaimed wood, recycled local materials and the natural shade of a couple large trees to provide a relaxing spot on the main drag of town overlooking the beach. The bar, for example, is made of local riverstones held in large steel baskets commonly used for land retention and road construction. The main dining area is found on a raised terrace surrounding the large trees that provide a cool shade and a gentle breeze from the ocean. You have a view of the Caribbean sea from all corners of the space which is really nice.
The terrace itself is constructed from a rare redish colored hardwood that was salvaged from a fallen tree in the area.
The tables and chairs are made from the wood of an old abandoned house that stood on one of our other properties (see photo). We dismantled the house piece by piece and used the walls to make chairs and the tables are the old windows and doors. It really gives the furniture patina and tells a story. The structural beams from the house are used in the support of the terrace deck. The old tin roof now gives shelter to our nightwatch. We even salvaged an old wooden love seat left in the old shack to be refinished and put to use again in the restaurant.
We are hoping to be open by September in order to be in good shape by the time the world renowned Jaques Favre regatta arrives in November ( http://www.jacques-vabre.com/en/s03_news/s03p02_detail_actu.php?news=1223&back_mode=accueil ) bringing some 1000 contestants and collaborators from 13 countries on 62 competing crafts, 62 support vessels and some 350 journalists to our corner of Costa Rica. They have previously sailed to Brazil and Colombia along the old coffee routes but for the next four competitions their destination is Costa Rica. An opportunity that can't be missed and another reason to celebrate.
We started construction only two weeks ago on the kitchen and office - which are being topped off this week- an incredible speed for a caribbean beach town. We drove to the port city of Puerto Limon friday to get some tiles at El Mundo de la Ceramica (world of tiles) and found the tile for the kitchen and bathrooms. They had every tacky tile you have ever seen in the world and of course with the perfect boarder to boot! Yes, here is where you find what will not sell anywhere else. Well after the salesman showed us the "BEST" we wondered through every stack and pile and found some pretty interesting stuff, for the floors some large tiles that look like concrete and the kitchen walls a off white with satin finish and for the bathroom walls a tile that kinda looks like bamboo streaks in a very light off green tint, it all came together pretty nice and we all felt content driving back knowing that we accomplished all that we set out to do in only one trip. Ask anybody and they will tell you that rarely happens around here.
Sunday we took the day off and enjoyed Sangrias all day long. Ahh this is what Caribbean living is all about.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
