La Casa

After much deliberation regarding construction budgets and funkiness, we are building a true Tico house for a few months' escape each year. We had labored for days looking at house designs in books and drawing carefully-scaled, somewhat unusual plans on graph paper – and then changing them again and again. The Kid has agreed to serve as project manager. He was patient for a while but finally took our plans away, saying gently but realistically that all we can afford to build is a Tico-style house, and a simplico one at that.

He made arrangements for us to meet Carlos, a local coffee farmer who is also well-experienced in building. His two grown nephews, Alejandro and Jose, round out the crew. While these two speak a little English, Carlos does not. No problem for him; he calls us up and fires off questions and information,followed by an in-person visit a short-time later, where we go over whatever he said. Carlos appears serious, steadfast and capable – and he smiles constantly. He is a trusted friend of The Kid’s and comes highly recommended.

The first time we met him, Carlos was wearing raggedy clothes that were mud-splattered and ripped with big holes. He was on foot and his two interpreters weren’t with him. He was quite serious as he talked about the job (we think) and the potential for us to hire him, but then he looked up to the ceiling in mid-sentence and burst out laughing at my homemade lightshade. He lost control, clutching his stomach while laughing, and nearly rolled on the floor. Pecos and I looked at each other, then at the wax paper strips dangling daintily from my homemade wire frame, and decided to hire him on the spot.

The next time we saw Carlos, he showed up on his spiffy motorcycle, cleanly dressed, carrying a cell phone and listening to an iPod. He carried professional, software-created plans for our house from our sketches, and a comparative list of costs from several building material places. He can negotiate for the true Tico price, an added feature, as costs for gringos are usually higher.

Now a series of heavy trucks have come from the city, carrying our building materials at excruciatingly slow pace up the rugged road to the finca. One driver stopped at our rental house to ask directions, and we are told that the others have stopped at the pulperia to ask if they’d already passed the site.

Like most Tico houses, ours will be constructed of concrete with a metal roof and large jalousie windows. The roof will be red corrugated metal and the stucco that covers the outside cement walls will be painted in a yet-undetermined color – but not anything in hot pink or bright yellow, like many that we see around here. The interior will be finished (next year) with a colorful tile floor and narrow bamboo on the 15-ft. vaulted ceiling. We haven’t yet decided on the material for the interior walls, but likely part bamboo and part stucco.

The dimensions of this structure are 30-ft. by 20-ft. for the casa itself, and there is also a 30x10-ft. covered porch on the side facing the view and two narrower ones on the side and back. Like other local houses, much of the cooking and all of the dining will take place on the porch end near the kitchen. The house can easily be added on to later.

This first morning, Carlos, Alejandro and Jose asked us to meet them at 6 a.m. to indicate the exact direction for the house to face. This was rather a late morning start, they said, as first they had to borrow tools from several relatives and friends. They ran a rubber hose far up the creek for good flowage to the tank for the concrete boldosas (small panels). Tico-style construction apparently means that walls are built first and afterward the gravel is spread and concrete floor is poured inside. All three were busy moving materials around when we left. Lacking electricity on site – or anywhere nearby – this house will be built via generator. We’re happy to finally see our little casa get under construction and are told the entire process will take less than two months. (!) 