Black House (Casa Negra)

The Black House is located along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It has been developed as a new prototype for the modular No Footprint House series (NFH). The climate-responsive design of the NFH variations is based on passive strategies such as site-specific positioning and the use of natural resources for cross ventilation, solar shading and energy production, as well as rainwater harvesting and biological water filtration. Industrial building techniques and prefabricated components have been used to create a high level of efficiency that can be delivered to any target location.

A-01 is an interdisciplinary network organization for the development of integrally sustainable solutions. In a globally urbanizing society, we work at the borderline of city and countryside or help identifying new synergies among the urban and rural domain. Our work methodology is designed to break the boundaries of a single professional perspective in order to allow for a holistic approach that shapes our products. We envision a long-term impact that involves economic growth, a high quality spatial surrounding, a responsible use of natural resources and an equal social development.

A-01 has received numerous recognitions for projects in urban and rural development. The No Footprint House (NFH) has won more than 50 awards for sustainable design and development worldwide.