Throughout popular resort areas in Costa Rica such as Tamarindo or nearby Santa Teresa, you may find many resorts and developments that severely altered the land or cleared jungle brush to suit their building needs. Not here. At March House, we lament the one dying tree that had to be removed. But that was all; just one quite sick mango tree was cleared.

March House architect, San Jose native Max Teran Gonzalez, realized that the natural placement of existing trees and plants on our property could never be equally duplicated with landscaping efforts. And the goal was to merge the house with the land in a synergistic way, without drastically changing the surroundings, or clear-cutting. He even purposely placed March House a little further from the beach, so that the space from home to trees to beach is perfectly balanced in a way only nature could have inspired.

Max believes in building smart and utilizing tried and tested methods in his designs. His use of simple ideas such as natural airflow cooling instead of electrical air conditioning not only bodes well for the environment, but also positions the home as a natural part of the environment, blending in and embracing the beautiful setting. That's also why you will find no glass windows at March House. Instead, each room has hand-carved louvered doors, which swing open the full length of the walls, so that interior and exterior are only vaguely defined.

March House's standard of style that Max developed is unequalled by any of the local surf shacks or over crowded resorts. The design of March House as a sanctuary, introduced to Mal Pais the idea of embracing the land not just as a surfing spot, but as a Zen moment in time, lazily observed from a perch of quiet, private luxury. It's creation is a success for eco design in Costa Rica, and as a destination for the sophisticated traveller.