slender wooden columns shape this wall-less open jungle house in the costa rican rainforest

Ksymena Borczynska’s serene getaway interwoven with nature

Ksymena Borczynska unveils the Open Jungle House — a serene getaway deep in the Costa Rican rainforest where residents can cohabitate with nature and animals that wander through freely. A celebration of a close and unfiltered contact with nature, the off-grid home derives from a key understanding of the environment and its ecosystems, conceptually developed as a space to foster exploration.

Simple in design and structure, Open Jungle House has been designed and built primarily by hand by the architect herself as a series of lightweight wooden components and integrated with ventilation and rainwater collecting systems. Sensitive to preserve the engulfing nature, the project marks a minimal footprint and fits onto the site without removing any trees and integrates the natural clay ground across the interior with a layer of gravel.

nestled within the Costa Rican rainforest | all images courtesy of Ksymena Borczynska

wall-less open jungle house interacts with flora & fauna

After traveling through Costa Rica at the start of the pandemic, architect Ksymena Borczynska decided to set up a family home which doubles as an Airbnb in the tropical rainforest for an open, nature-infused living experience. In dialogue with its environment, the home allows nature to weave through and enjoys expansive open views of the engulfing flora and fauna. The canopy of trees creates optimal shade and enables a light breeze from the valley to seep in through the openings, minimizing the accumulating of heat and humidity.

The Open Jungle House is topped by a thin, sloping corrugated roof supported by slender doubled columns and doubled beams, all made from the same 2’’x2’’ laural — a local semi-hardwood — and anchored in a series of small concrete foundations. The architect has developed lightweight components and a flexible design in response to the area’s seismic activity and soil movements, while ensuring the home merges in sensitively with its context. By day, the structure blends in with its surroundings, while at night, soft warm light defines the columns and illuminates the interior and exterior.

Open House Jungle enjoys unrestrained views of the surrounding rainforest scenery

integrating rainwater & ventilation systems for off-grid living

The majority of the structure and furniture was designed and built by hand by Borczynska herself, while her partner developed off-grid water and electricity systems and created the lighting concept. The structure integrates a rainwater collecting system, where the precipitation flows from the roof into the wooden gutter and supplies a water and pool. During heavy rainfall, curtains can be drawn around the wall-less structure to provide a translucent protection and an illusion of ‘dancing-in-the-wind’.

a lightweight corrugated roof tops the structure

‘Living in this house means being in constant and intense contact with nature. We can feel every change in light, wind, temperature, humidity; there is an endlessness of smells. We got to know all the animals which live in and around the house, their personalities, their habits… We are woken up by the songs of parrots and monkeys and the continuous, ever-changing melody goes on throughout the day,’ notes Ksymena Borczynska. Simple in design, the Open Jungle House remains sensitive to the area’s residing eco-system, taking shape without removing a single tree from the rainforest and without destroying any habitats.

the natural clay ground is preserved and enhanced with a layer of gravel

residents can cohabitate with nature and animals that wander through freely

the frame is shaped by slender doubled columns and doubled beams, all made from laural — a local semi-hardwood

built without walls, curtains can be opened or closed to contain the home

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project info:

name: Open Jungle House
architecture: Ksymena Borczynska
location: Costa Rica

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom