After modern colonial-style architecture, perhaps the most popular architectural style for foreign home buyers is tropical modern, and that is especially true among home buyers with hefty budgets. What distinguishes plain-vanilla modern architecture from tropical modern style is a matter for debate, but the difference between the two styles is perhaps mainly a question of whether or not the building occurs in the tropics. In Costa Rica, tropical modern is characterized by unadorned white walls, expansive windows, steel support structures, and tall ceilings.

The best examples of this kind of architecture in Costa Rica are usually the result of a seamless integration between the design of the home and the design of the surrounding landscape. Since many of these homes incorporate an indoor-outdoor approach, landscape design is critically important. Also, foliage and other garden elements work to soften or counterpoint the somewhat austere, cold tones of this architectural style. The characteristic large windows, which are key to creating an indoor-outdoor feel, present two design challenges. First is the issue of how to place these windows in such a way that the intense tropical sun doesn’t turn the house into a furnace. Security is a second issue: placing bars over the windows negates their purpose, but large unbarred windows are alluring to burglars. (For a discussion of security measures you can take to protect your home, see Chapter 17).