Imagine your dream house... a big open deck with a hammock overlooking the hills, a cool breeze coming into your kitchen, lots of natural light, and a garden overflowing with flowers and tropical fruit, butterflies, birds, and bees... 

In order to best serve the needs of the entire neighborhood, Alegría has Architectural Guidelines and a Design Review Committee (DRC) that review and approve all homes and structures built in Alegría. 

The Design Review Committee is made up of experts in the areas of architecture, construction, and ecological design who are familiar with building in Costa Rica. Design Review Committee members are also neighbors of Alegría, and are appointed by the HOA each year. 

The intent of the Architectural Guidelines is to maintain high standards for a community of residences in the context of the natural environment. It is not the intent of the Guidelines to dictate an architectural style, but rather to provide lot owners and their architects with a set of guidelines that will foster an attractive, ecologically-mindful community.

We are happy to share our current Architectural Guidelines with serious prospective buyers. 

Right now our allowable construction area is 900 m2 or 40% of the total lot size, whichever amount is smaller. You can build as many structures as you like within that total allowable area! 

The height is limited to 2.5 stories above grade. Houses should be a minimum of 60 conditioned square meters, and all accessory structures should be smaller than 40 m2 footprint and less than 25’ tall.

Yes, as long as your total construction area does not exceed 900 m2 or 40% of the total lot size, whichever amount is smaller. 

Our design guidelines state that construction must begin within 12 months of the final DRC approval of your architectural designs. Construction projects must be completed within 18 months of their start unless an extension is provided by the DRC.

You must submit your architectural plans to the DRC within 18 months of purchasing your lot in Alegría..

Yes, we have a list of responsible architects and builders with experience in the area.

Yes, there is a labor force readily available in this area, and many teams already hard at work building homes in Alegría!

It all depends on the complication and size of the house, but build times are similar here to those in other countries.

Construction permits are granted by the municipality and typically take about 30 days.

Total building costs vary a great deal depending on materials used and salaries paid (and costs have gone up quite a bit over the last few years), with estimates ranging from about $1000 per square meter up to $1700+ per square meter.

In general, materials costs in Costa Rica are roughly equivalent to those in North America, while labor costs will be significantly less. Building in remote areas is often more expensive, since you have to factor in delivery costs of materials. You may have additional costs, construction costs like excavating and driveway work. It will depend on your site and what you’re wanting to build. 

If you have initial inspiration photos, ideas, or architectural plans, your architect can give you a better estimate of the cost per square foot you can expect.

Really all materials have their pros and cons. Concrete and steel and wood are the most commonly used, however are not the most sustainable. Companies in Costa Rica are now working with Aircrete as well as recycled steel. Old fashioned waddle and dob works well in this environment.

We require that stone is sourced within 200 miles. Wood and concrete products are typically manufactured in Costa Rica, as is some steel. Many products are imported.

An average cost is about $2 / watt. This means a typical 10 kw house would cost approximately $20,000 USD, however limiting energy consumption could require as low as 3 kw.