Perched high above the Pacific coastline in Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica, Ojo de Nila is a house that feels less like an object placed on land and more like a continuation of it. Designed by Studio Saxe, with interiors by Atelier Sandra Richard, the home was created for a Swiss couple seeking a slower, more elemental way of living shaped by air, light, and landscape rather than mechanical systems and rigid enclosures.
A clear modular logic guides the architecture. A repeating series of structural bays follows the natural contours of the hillside, allowing the house to hover above the forest canopy instead of cutting into it. This decision preserves vegetation and natural water flow beneath the home while giving the structure a lightness that feels respectful of its setting. The modules do not read as repetition in the conventional sense. Instead, they become the framework for movement, rhythm, and flow.
Designer: Studio Saxe and Atelier Sandra Richard
Above these modules, the roof undulates in soft waves, behaving almost like a newly formed landform. Rather than acting as a simple cover, it mirrors the rolling topography of the surrounding hills and establishes a calming visual cadence as one moves through the house. The roofline continuously frames the Pacific Ocean, ensuring that the horizon remains a constant presence, never a backdrop but always an active participant in daily life.
Arrival is defined by elevation and openness. As you enter, there is no dramatic reveal or enclosed threshold. Instead, the house immediately opens itself to the ocean. The absence of enclosure on the ocean-facing side dissolves any clear boundary between inside and outside. Movement through the home is accompanied by the sound of wind through the forest, shifting light, and the distant rhythm of waves below.
The dining area is fully open to the landscape, with no windows or doors separating it from the environment. Meals unfold in direct conversation with climate and view, reinforcing a lifestyle centered on natural comfort. Adjacent to this space, the kitchen sits within the same modular grid. A long island anchors the room, illuminated by three pendant lights, while additional storage is discreetly tucked behind folding doors to maintain visual calm.
The living room balances structure and softness. A solid wood frame sofa grounds the space, layered with neutral cushions and tactile throws that invite rest. Rich timber flooring adds warmth underfoot, tying the interior palette back to the surrounding forest.
The bedroom continues this dialogue with nature through a curved open-air form. The sweeping roof and angled supports frame uninterrupted views of both forest and ocean. A low timber bed and minimal furnishings ensure that attention remains on light, air, and the ever-changing landscape beyond.
In the bathroom, restraint becomes luxury. A floating timber vanity topped with stone sits at the center of the space, while slatted wood and soft curtains filter light and create privacy without full enclosure. The result is a room that feels tactile, quiet, and gently connected to its surroundings.
Outside, the pool extends toward the horizon, visually blending with the sky and ocean. From above, its circular form reads like an eye, like a reflection, inspiring the home’s name. This gesture reinforces the idea of the house as an observer, always in dialogue with the landscape it inhabits. The deck echoes the pool’s curves, creating shaded and open zones shaped by the modular structure and flowing roof.
Ojo de Nila ultimately demonstrates how modular construction can enable expressive architecture without overpowering its context. Through repetition that allows curvature and structure that guides airflow, the house achieves a quiet, deeply considered balance between design and environment, inviting its inhabitants to live with nature rather than against it.
