Perched atop a green hill just three minutes from Playa Venao's surf breaks, Casa Samambaia occupies a rare position—close enough to the ocean to feel its pull, yet elevated and removed from the coastal bustle. The site is enveloped by forest, dense with native vegetation and crowned by a towering Panamanian tree whose canopy shelters the residence. From this vantage point, the land slopes gently toward the Pacific, offering unobstructed views through the foliage while maintaining a profound sense of privacy and tranquility. The calls of howler monkeys drift through the canopy at dawn and dusk, marking the rhythm of the day. It is a place defined by duality: connection and seclusion, proximity and retreat.

Conceived as a personal refuge for the Espacio LAR founders and their family, the residence embodies the studio's philosophy of architecture as sanctuary while channeling the contemporary Brazilian influence from their roots. It needed to accommodate multiple generations while maintaining the atmosphere of a wellness retreat: calm, restorative, deeply connected to nature. The vision was clear: a space where natural materials, considered details, and punctuations of color would create an environment as beautiful as it is functional, serving both as a family home and, when unoccupied, as a carefully curated rental experience.

The architectural response honors the site's constraints. The main residence follows the S2 model—a slim, elongated plan elevated above grade to adapt to the topography and preserve the existing ground plane. Sliding glass panels dissolve both long facades, creating transparency from forest to ocean. On one side, views extend through dense tropical vegetation; on the other, the Pacific appears in fragments between trees. The kitchen opens directly onto the pool deck, and when the sliding doors retract, the boundary disappears entirely, transforming the space into a single continuous zone for cooking, dining, and gathering. Below the raised structure, infrastructure—plumbing, electrical, water systems—runs accessible and protected, a practical solution for a remote site where maintenance requires foresight.

Materiality defines the character of the retreat. Natural finishes dominate—wood, stone, woven textures—grounded by deliberate punctuations of color: green doors that echo the surrounding foliage, and bathrooms entirely enveloped in terrazzo ceramics, their speckled surfaces adding texture and warmth. The natural stone pool extends toward the ocean view, its materiality echoing the rugged character of the coastline. A short distance away, a Tiny Loft serves as a guest pavilion, providing autonomy for visitors while maintaining connection to the main house. This compact structure includes a private black hot tub perched with ocean views, its loft-style plan maximizing vertical space within a minimal footprint. The two buildings coexist on the site without competing, each oriented to capture views while respecting the topography and the sheltering canopy of the Panamanian tree.

Casa Samambaia is, ultimately, an exercise in working within limits. The terrain dictated the architecture, and the architecture responded by lifting, opening, and adapting. It does not impose order on the landscape but rather negotiates with it—finding balance between the need for shelter and the desire to remain immersed in the surroundings. A retreat where the forest meets the ocean, where multiple generations converge, and where the architecture becomes a threshold between built space and the natural world.