Houzz Tours
Modern Architecture
My Houzz: Tropical Modern Casitas Perch in the Nicaraguan Hills
Efficient and tranquil, two small units on a sprawling compound have panoramic views and earth-friendly features
When Austin, Texas, native Robert Dull visited Nicaragua for the first time in 1997, he fell in love with the country and vowed to come back and buy land as soon as possible. Two years later he fulfilled his dream by buying 10 acres on a hillside 320 yards from Playa Gigante, a small farming and fishing village on the Pacific Coast.
Dull, a research fellow in environmental science at the University of Texas at Austin, has always had an interest in and love of modern architecture. So in 2004 he formed CasaMod, a development company based in Nicaragua, and got to work designing and building a housing community that sprawls across 7 of his acres, with a hotel and staff quarters comprising the other 3.
As part of the housing community, he built two twin casitas (small houses), with the intention that one would serve as his living space when he visited and worked on research projects, and the other as a rental property. He calls his work the Brio Project. Having worked closely with architect Javier Arana in Granada to create the blueprints and the structural and electrical plans, Dull now enjoys lush views of the Central American shoreline from his new home away from home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Robert Dull
Location: Playa Gigante, outside Rivas, Nicaragua
Size: Each casita is 750 square feet; Dull's: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom; rental: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Cost: $60 per square foot; $45,000 per casita; the lots range from about $25,000 to $65,000
Dull, a research fellow in environmental science at the University of Texas at Austin, has always had an interest in and love of modern architecture. So in 2004 he formed CasaMod, a development company based in Nicaragua, and got to work designing and building a housing community that sprawls across 7 of his acres, with a hotel and staff quarters comprising the other 3.
As part of the housing community, he built two twin casitas (small houses), with the intention that one would serve as his living space when he visited and worked on research projects, and the other as a rental property. He calls his work the Brio Project. Having worked closely with architect Javier Arana in Granada to create the blueprints and the structural and electrical plans, Dull now enjoys lush views of the Central American shoreline from his new home away from home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Robert Dull
Location: Playa Gigante, outside Rivas, Nicaragua
Size: Each casita is 750 square feet; Dull's: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom; rental: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Cost: $60 per square foot; $45,000 per casita; the lots range from about $25,000 to $65,000
A small kitchenette provides all the essentials Dull needs; tile left over from the swimming pool makes up the backsplash and countertop.
A staircase with laurel wood treads leads up to the two bedrooms. Reinforced concrete block and stucco make up the lower-level structure, while a welded steel skeleton forms the upper levels.
The project wasn't without its challenges. "We had some major issues with subcontractor work and specifications being met," says Dull. "The Galvalume siding was not a typical application, and we had to redo it. We also had to tear out the upper stairs once, because they originally cut too much into the kitchen headroom."
A staircase with laurel wood treads leads up to the two bedrooms. Reinforced concrete block and stucco make up the lower-level structure, while a welded steel skeleton forms the upper levels.
The project wasn't without its challenges. "We had some major issues with subcontractor work and specifications being met," says Dull. "The Galvalume siding was not a typical application, and we had to redo it. We also had to tear out the upper stairs once, because they originally cut too much into the kitchen headroom."
Dull designed the teak dining room furniture and had a local carpenter build it. A previous rental tenant created the wire sculptures and left them as a gift for Dull.
The casitas' front porches look toward the Giant's Foot rock formation in Playa Gigante.
The teak ceiling on the top floor continues outside to become the roof eaves. Large windows frame Giant's Foot in the distance.
Dull also designed the beds and bedside table in the guest bedroom, and had them built by a local carpenter. The upstairs bedrooms in both casitas feature solar-powered wall lights. "Some of the lights run on solar power, but others do not. You only find out when the power goes out," Dull says. Power outages are quite common during the windy season of December to February.
Smartly placed windows offer privacy from the neighbors while still revealing blue skies.
Smartly placed windows offer privacy from the neighbors while still revealing blue skies.
Sky-blue tile covers the unit's only bathroom. "It's small, elegant, functional and has hot water — a rare amenity here," Dull says.
Dull purchased the towel bars, fixtures and hardware from Ikea in the U.S. and slightly modified them to include local wood for shelving.
Dull purchased the towel bars, fixtures and hardware from Ikea in the U.S. and slightly modified them to include local wood for shelving.
With teak and corrugated Galvalume for the siding, the architecture style is what Dull calls tropical modern — a nod to architect Glenn Murcutt of Australia, who "has done a lot to pioneer tropical modernism in a way that recognizes and embraces the climate and setting," Dull says, adding that Ian McHarg’s book Design with Nature also inspired his design.
The two units sit at the top of a hill of drought-tolerant plants and xeriscaping, and overlook a pool that's shared with the hotel. Dull is still developing the property as new lots are sold and houses constructed.
Dull kicks back poolside here in front of a deck and a shade structure. He's currently working on a new water system at the Brio development and a similar casita for his Austin, Texas, residence. "If you are building a house in a remote part of the world, be patient and try to source locally," he offers as advice.
The hotel closed in 2011 and is currently rented as staff housing to other businesses in the area. "The truss joists raise the roof plane for ventilation," Dull says of its design. "I was trying to mimic the open-air effect of traditional grass palapas while giving it a clear modern feel."
And Dull practices what he has preached. Having taught environmental sustainability at the university level for a decade, he included graywater, xeriscaping, solar power and rainwater collection here. The butterfly roof is a way to collect water for the big rainwater cisterns, which have a 20,000-gallon capacity.
See more photos of this project
And Dull practices what he has preached. Having taught environmental sustainability at the university level for a decade, he included graywater, xeriscaping, solar power and rainwater collection here. The butterfly roof is a way to collect water for the big rainwater cisterns, which have a 20,000-gallon capacity.
See more photos of this project
The window trim is made from Covintec and is used as a contrasting material that transitions from the side metal paneling. The detail also provides shade and a dab of color to the otherwise stark geometric forms.