Bali style is characterized by A-frame construction, an indoor-outdoor design, and the use of bamboo, thatch material, and tropical hardwoods for building materials. This style has made a fairly recent appearance in Costa Rica. To date, only private home construction projects and hotels have employed Bali style; developers of housing projects have shunned it, most likely because they doubt its commercial viability. As beautiful as these homes can be—and as seamlessly as they blend in with the surrounding tropical vegetation—they have a number of defects. One, they allow bugs free access to people living in them; two, burglars find them relatively easy to break into; and, three, there are questions about their ability to withstand tropical rains and winds. Finally, the resale value of these homes may not be as high as that of more traditional architectural styles.

As you drive around Costa Rica, you’ll come upon other kinds of vernacular architecture.

A style that typifies the Caribbean coast is wooden houses built on stilts, often painted in bright tropical colors. The majority of these houses, probably, are holdovers from a past era, but now and then you’ll note a new home under construction that copies this style.

In the end, of course, the kind of house you buy will depend in large part on your personal tastes. Other important considerations are: 1) potential resale value; 2) whether the home you choose fits in with the architectural styles that prevail in your area; 3) security concerns; and 4) if you are building your home, availability of construction materials and construction workers who know how to render the style you want.