The Lantana Residences Rise from Las Catalinas

Focusing on creating a better way of life, New Urbanist philosophy centers on walkable streets, proximity to housing and shops and plenty of public spaces to introduce and preserve nature within the urban environment. Though it started in the 1980s, it’s a philosophy finely tuned to the needs and goals of modern-day developments, creating healthier, more sustainable environments, and one that runs throughout the town of Las Catalinas and its newest settlement in Guancaste, Costa Rica.

Located just east of Beach Town and designed by Arosemena & Way Arquitectos, Lantana Residences will be a collection of ocean view homes and flats built directly into the hillside and surrounded by 1,000 acres of preserved tropical dry forest; nearly 42 kilometers (26 miles) of world-class, single-track trails; and flanked by two of the best beaches on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, along with a bountiful array of local eateries, accommodations and more.

Following in the Footsteps of New Urbanist Architecture

A country comprised of a biologically intense landscape, Costa Rica is home to six percent of the planet’s total biodiversity and offers a gorgeous companionship to the vision of Las Catalinas. Offering an ecologically sustainable lifestyle influenced by the natural surroundings, the town’s added hardscapes encourage maximum human-to-human interaction through New Age design principles mixed with Old World flavor.

All aspects of Las Catalinas designed to be environmentally friendly from its compact masterplan intended avoid impacting the local ecosystem during construction, to the town’s incredible efficiency, storm water control and enhancement of wildlife habitats. No building can be more than four stories, and most are stylistically in line with the finishes, materials, and techniques found in quintessential Central American towns such as Antigua (Guatemala) and San Miguel de Allende (Mexico).

Through this walkable design, the streets of Las Catalinas and its associated developments have been made nearly car-free. It has been referred to as one of the most important and beautiful new towns in the world by renowned Notre Dame School of Architecture Professor Douglas Duany, and the Lantana Residences neighborhood is expected to continue following in those footsteps.

An Impressive Stair Street Crowns Humanist Goals

Ranging from one to four bedrooms, the Lantana Residences will offer dramatic views, plentiful outdoor spaces and crafted interior finishes with spectacular architecture at floorplans ranging from 484 square feet to 3,843 square feet.

“We combine a conscientious and high-minded perspective towards the act of creating and inhabiting a human habitat with artistic and technical talent in order to produce a place that is beautiful, functional and will last for generations,” says Ricardo Arosemena of Arosemena & Way Arquitectos.

Slanted rooftops, thick walls, high ceilings, clever ventilation and other structural considerations provide respite from the outdoor elements in the Guanacaste tropical dry forest. Indoor and outdoor living spaces, pools, and outdoor terraces embrace the climate and allow for comfortable indoor and outdoor living. Meanwhile, wood and other materials used in the construction of the Residences have been sourced from sustainable sources.

However, the crowning jewel of the Lantana neighborhood is its stair-street architecture, modeling pedestrian Mediterranean hill towns of the Old World. Utilizing its intense sloping topography, Arosemena & Way Arquitectos designed the stair streets of Lantana to create a way for visitors and residents to explore the neighborhood from the shops, plazas, parks and streets of lower levels of El Prado to the higher vistas, residences and trail heads of the upper neighborhoods.

Highly visible from nearly all areas of town while offering a panoramic ocean and town view, the stair streets of Lantana enhance the pedestrian experience which is the cornerstone of Las Catalinas in encouraging interaction and engagement among residents and visitors.

The Lantana Residences will be the second real estate development of Las Catalinas with a projected start date set for the second quarter of 2023 and a projected completion date for July 2025.