This architectural style, the most popular in Costa Rica today, appeals to Costa Ricans and foreigners alike. It’s characterized by a terra-cotta roof, tiled floors (either of clay or ornately pattered), arched windows and door frames that are often very wide, and wrought iron door handles and other fixtures. A range of warm, burnt-clay hues predominate: rust, dark red, brown, yellow, and deep-orange colors are common choices. In the more expensively constructed homes, the walls are especially thick (a design feature that recalls mansions built during colonial times).

Zürcher Arquitectos, one of the most prestigious architectural firms in Latin America, has played a key role in popularizing the modern colonial style in Costa Rica. Their first commercial building in this style was the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose, which garnered numerous awards and is considered one of the hallmark hotels in Central America. A more recent commercial project from Zürcher is the Los Sueños resort in Herradura, another much-heralded hotel complex. Since he designed his first colonial-style homes in the San José area nearly 25 years ago, Ronald Zürcher’s firm has gone on to design hundreds of colonial-style homes throughout the country. Adrián Saballos, a Zürcher business partner, speculates that these homes appeal to foreign buyers perhaps because they contrast so vividly with the architectural styles that dominates in the home country.

When well-designed and built to quality specifications, colonial-style homes are a welcome sight for those of us overly accustomed to the dreary cityscapes of San Jose. And they somehow seem an appropriate fit with both the lush tropical landscapes found throughout many parts of the country and the dry, more austere landscape of Guanacaste. However, some developers—in an effort to appeal to a wider market—have begun to build large housing complexes with cookie-cutter colonial-style homes. In many of these, plastic tiles replace terra-cotta roofs, and walls and doors are flimsy. One wonders if these faux-colonial homes will maintain their value over time.

The most important point to make about the modern colonial-style home is that it is currently the most popular architectural style in the country. Whether you are buying or building, you need to remember that the architectural style of your home bears a strong correlation to its future resale value. You’ve got to sell what’s selling, as the old refrain goes.