Playa Venao is defined by its surf culture—consistent breaks, a rhythm tied to tides and swells, and a landscape where the ocean is always present, always audible. The site for Casa Pelícano sits close enough to the water that the sound of waves becomes ambient, a constant backdrop to daily life. At night, the absence of light pollution reveals the stars in full clarity, while the calls of howler monkeys punctuate the dawn and dusk. It is a place where nature operates on its own terms, and where the architecture must respond with openness and restraint.

The residence was conceived for an expatriate couple seeking both a vacation refuge and an investment property—a dual-purpose home that could offer them respite from urban life while generating income when unoccupied. The brief was explicit: create a space designed for rejuvenation, where surf, solitude, and social life could coexist seamlessly. It needed to function as a personal retreat and, when rented, as a carefully curated hospitality experience that embodied the rhythms of coastal living. A home built for the surf life, where the modern and the cozy intersect.

The architectural response is one of suspension and transparency. Built upon the W2 model, the residence is raised three meters above grade on stilts, elevating it above the ground plane and creating a generous covered terrace beneath. This gesture provides both practical and experiential benefits: protection from ground moisture, improved ventilation, and a sheltered outdoor space that extends seamlessly to the pool overlooking the ocean. The elevated position amplifies the views, framing the Pacific through dense foliage and offering unobstructed sightlines from the interior. The entire facade dissolves into floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels, erasing the boundary between inside and outside. A roofed deck extends along the full length of the house, cantilevered and hovering above the landscape, providing shade while maintaining the sensation of being suspended in the canopy.

At one corner, a bow window projects outward—a deliberate design gesture that functions as both architectural punctuation and intimate refuge. This alcove becomes the perfect spot to read, to watch the surf, or simply to pause and take in the view. The palette is restrained yet warm: natural materials, clean lines, and details that prioritize comfort without sacrificing modernity. The interiors feel cozy despite their openness, grounded by furnishings and finishes that balance tropical ease with contemporary rigor. The pool serves as the anchor of outdoor life, its edge aligned with ocean views, offering a place to cool off between surf sessions or to gather at sunset.

Casa Pelícano is, ultimately, an architecture of elevation and openness. By lifting the living spaces above the ground, the residence gains both perspective and protection, allowing its occupants to exist at the threshold between forest and ocean, shelter and exposure. It is a home designed for those who seek to escape not into isolation, but into a landscape where the natural world remains vividly, undeniably present—where the sound of waves, the calls of wildlife, and the expanse of stars overhead become part of the daily experience of living.