Our architect, Lorenzina Laera (we call her Lory) hails from Italy. She was given pretty much free-reign to achieve something new and in concert with the Costa Rican pura vida way of living. The result is a nothing short of spectacular. Guests tell us it is the most beautiful hostel they have ever stayed in, more like staying in a luxury hotel. They love the giant columns, which represent trees? waves? 0r are the columns the gesture of “pura vida?” Great architecture – it causes us to pause, imagine and discover for ourselves.
The pictures of Room2Board are great, but they just don’t do it justice. As with any great piece of architecture, it can only appreciated by walking around it. The scale of the building, the textures and patterns used need to be seen and felt first hand.
If you have been here, you know what I am talking about. We would love to hear your comments below. If you haven’t, we hope you will join us soon in Jaco, Costa Rica. The pura vida life is pretty good here at Room2Board. Reserve your room now!
Stay tuned for Part 2 in this series on the design process and read about how a group of Lory’s students spent 2 weeks in Jaco last summer working on the finishing touches with her.
About the Architect:
Lory is currently on staff at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), where she won the 2011-2012 Excellence in Teaching Award for Instruction by Adjunct Faculty. She teaches Architecture and Interior Design Studios and coordinates workshops around the world.
She has a Laurea in Architettura cum laude, from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and a Post Professional Masters Degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University in NY. Her work has been featured in design and architectural publications, including the New York Times and one of Italy’s leading national newspapers, La Repubblica. She was part of a team that won an Honorable Mention for the World Trade Center Memorial Competition, which was featured in an article in the New York Times and in the book Imaging Ground Zero.