15 Best Architecture and Design Firms in Costa Rica

These annual rankings were last updated on April 17th, 2026. Want to see your firm on next year’s list? Continue reading for more on how you can improve your studio’s ranking.

Costa Rica is a tropical land filled with rainforests, exotic beaches and volcanoes, as well as many sustainable examples of buildings. Its traditional architecture originates from the country’s pre-Colombian era and Spanish colonial influence. Today, Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, is characterized by its modern, high-rise architecture, paired with small, albeit luxurious traditional single-store houses preserved from the late 1800s. At that time, San José was the second most technologically advanced city in America, installing public city lights and electricity to its wider city fabric.

This vision for technological innovation has carried through to contemporary Costa Rican architecture. Minimizing building footprint, especially within the Costa Rican landscapes, is a wider philosophy shared by local architects as well as using locally sourced materials and pioneering sustainable technologies such as rainwater harvesting systems, solar power and natural ventilation techniques.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Costa Rica based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2026)
The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2026)
The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2026)
The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2026)
The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2026)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Costa Rica architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 15 best architecture firms in Costa Rica:

15. Jaime Rouillon Arquitectura

Jaime Rouillon Arquitectura (JRA) was established in 1994 as an architecture firm specializing in “high-end custom design” with a precise distinction for detailing; each project and each client is different. Jaime Rouillon “gives a complete personalized treatment in close contact from beginning to conclusion of the project, always assisting the client. Our seal is one where craftsmanship is determinant for that unique result. Materials are chosen carefully as a representation of the client’s needs. Both interior and architectural design result in “one on one” as an integral result of both texture and space, an identity of its own. We strongly believe in the mutual trust and respect with the client, for it is then that a great project is realized.

Some of Jaime Rouillon Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

CasaVal, San José, Costa Rica
L4 HOUSE, Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Baticueva, Escazu, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Jaime Rouillon Arquitectura achieve 15th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

14. QBO3 Arquitectos

QBO3 Arquitectos is an architecture and construction studio based in Costa Rica, which has more than 20 years of experience, led by architect Mario Vargas and supported by a team of highly qualified professionals and consultants. Recognized for its ability to integrate cutting-edge architectural design in harmony with the natural environment, QBO3 has established itself nationally and internationally, with special emphasis on exclusive high-end residential developments on the coast of Guanacaste, in projects such as Nosara Estates, Papagayo Peninsula and Zapotal.

QBO3’s design philosophy focuses on architectural composition, where form, materiality and technical precision come together in an integral process that transforms spaces into unique experiences.

Some of QBO3 Arquitectos’ most prominent projects include:

CASA YUME, Liberia, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
CASA ENOKI, Liberia, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
ANDAZ CASA DE PLAYA, Liberia, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped QBO3 Arquitectos achieve 14th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

13. Salvaje Studio

We are an Architecture & Interior Design Studio that believes that every person is unique and has something special. Salvaje Studio operates on the premise that all the spaces designed by our professionals should be distinct and reflect the personality of their users.

This is how Salvaje Estudio was born, a design firm that seeks to move away from conventional and mass-produced designs. That aims to do not the ordinary but instead the extraordinary.

Some of Salvaje Studio’s most prominent projects include:

BAUMA HOTEL, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Bauma Hotel Lofts, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Bauma Hotel Villas, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Salvaje Studio achieve 13th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	3

12. CRN ARCHITECTURE

CRN is an architecture firm based in Costa Rica. Since 2015, our company has provided architecture, consulting and construction services for residential, commercial and hospitality projects in Santa Teresa, Nosara, Tamarindo and Guanacaste. As a team, our main goal is to guide and advise our clients during the experience of building and developing residential and commercial projects in Costa Rica.

Some of CRN ARCHITECTURE’s most prominent projects include:

EL CORAZON, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Casa Cabo Blanco, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
PALO SANTO SANTA TERESA, Costa Rica
Nosara del Mar, Concept House, Nosara, Costa Rica
CASA DE AMOR, Punta Arenas, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped CRN ARCHITECTURE achieve 12th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	9

11. Instinto Estudio

We are Instinto Estudio, a Costa Rican architecture studio focused on sustainable design.

At Instinto Studio, we believe design is more than aesthetics – it’s about improving lives. We create spaces that are not only beautiful but also make sense, seamlessly integrating with their surroundings. We approach each project holistically, blending exploration, technology, local materials, and a deep respect for social, economic, and environmental impact. We work closely with our clients to develop real solutions, balancing reason and emotion. Our tropical, sustainable architecture is all about creating unique experiences in connection with nature.

Some of Instinto Estudio’s most prominent projects include:

Villa Nalani y Villa Elu, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Casa Liza, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Instinto Estudio achieve 11th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	1
Total Projects	2

10. Garton Group Architecture

GGA is a boutique architecture and design firm based in Costa Rica, designing unique solutions to unique briefs. We are motivated by our quest to craft spaces that match our clients’ visions and lifestyles on all scales. We can guide you through the design development, building permits, construction and interior design of your project to bring your vision to life.

We are an interdisciplinary team of designers and architects that share our varied educations, professional experiences and local knowledge to produce thoughtful designs and spaces that creatively add value to our clients’ projects. Each of our projects requires a unique solution that connects all of the aesthetic, functional, regulatory, sustainability and social pieces that make up the architectural puzzle.

Some of Garton Group Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

Kaya Villas, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica
Indo Avellanas, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Garton Group Architecture achieve 10th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	2

9. StudioDelRio

Always believing that communication is the best tool to execute our projects, our mission is to transform your expectations, needs and budgets into tangible objects of habitability.

The studio’s vision focuses on constant updating, applying new technologies and knowledge, to offer innovative solutions of a conscious nature to the use, intervention and responsibility of the natural environment.

Some of StudioDelRio’s most prominent projects include:

BAUMA HOTEL, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
IN CALA HOUSE, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Bauma Hotel Lofts, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Bauma Hotel Villas, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped StudioDelRio achieve 9th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	4

8. Aarcano Arquitectura

Founded by Costa Rican architects Esteban Castro and Carla Carranza, AARCANO is an architecture studio driven by a fascination with change, transformation and the profound connections between time, space and humanity.

Our work is rooted in research and the pursuit of meaning, understanding that each project is a temporary yet impactful footprint within a larger, ever-evolving narrative. We see architecture as a bridge between past and future, a medium through which we can pause, observe, listen, and respond thoughtfully to our surroundings with sensitivity and purpose.

At AARCANO, we embrace the responsibility of regenerating our connection to the essence of being, recognizing the challenges of modern lifestyles that often disconnect us from nature and ourselves.

Some of Aarcano Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Entre Tecas, Santa Cruz, Costa Rica
Anapanasati House, Tamarindo, Costa Rica
Nosara Workspace, Nosara, Costa Rica
Villa T, Costa Rica
Casa D3, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Aarcano Arquitectura achieve 8th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	7

7. K10 Studio

We’re a boutique creative architecture & design studio. Unique ideas for unique clients.

Some of K10 Studio’s most prominent projects include:

Casa Infinity, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Ostional Ocean Villa, Ostional, Costa Rica
Selva Resort, Costa Rica
Ostional Guesthouse, Ostional, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped K10 Studio achieve 7th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	4

6. VOID

VOID began its activities in 2012 in Costa Rica. Currently, it is constituted by architects Sergio Frugone, Felipe Rossi and Ricardo Sevilla.

As an office, we have a strong conviction that every project we develop, be it private or public development, should be designed to impact its immediate local context in a greater way. VOID does not pretend to be a traditional studio; rather, a creative studio where we believe in multidisciplinary processes and possess and promote a strong culture of collaboration.

Some of VOID’s most prominent projects include:

Guarumo, Santa Teresa Beach, Costa Rica
Seis Patios House, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
EFC Cabin, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
Tropik Works, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Dolce far niente house, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped VOID achieve 6th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	6

5. VIDA MASTERPLANNING + DESIGN

We are a small studio with big ideas. We design spaces that remake the enduring connection between us, our communities and our habitats. We are masterplanners, landscape architects and designers of conscious, sustainable developments.

With offices in Costa Rica and South Africa, we bring a global perspective while staying deeply rooted in the local context. Our focus is on creating harmonious, sustainable designs that respect both the environment and the communities they serve.

We are local, and we are global.

We are VIDA.

Some of VIDA MASTERPLANNING + DESIGN’s most prominent projects include:

Loma Sagrada House, Nosara, Costa Rica
Sirena House, Santa Teresa Beach, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Casa Ojalá, Nosara, Costa Rica
Nayara Tented Camp, San Carlos, Costa Rica
Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped VIDA MASTERPLANNING + DESIGN achieve 5th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	2
Total Projects	6

4. Carazo Arquitectura

We are a Costa Rican Architectural firm named Carazo Arquitectura. Our office is located in San Jose, Costa Rica, in the heart of the main city and capital. Rodrigo Carazo founded the firm in 2005.

Some of Carazo Arquitectura’s most prominent projects include:

ULatina Costa Rica
Adara, San José, Costa Rica
Residencia Chavarria, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Natú, Costa Rica
Casa Murray Music, Heredia, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped CARAZO ARQUITECTURA achieve 4th place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Winner	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	8

3. A-01 (A Company / A Foundation)

A-01 is an interdisciplinary network organization. In a globally urbanizing society, we work at the borderline of city and countryside or help identify new synergies between the urban and the rural domain. Our participatory design methodologies are developed to co-create integrally sustainable solutions for urban and rural development. We intend to break the boundaries of a single professional perspective in order to allow for a holistic approach that shapes our products. We envision a long-term impact that involves economic growth, a high-quality spatial surrounding, a responsible use of natural resources and an equal social development. This complex set of factors is simply referred to as the 4E of integral sustainability: Economy, Engineering, Environment and Equity.

Some of A-01 (A Company / A Foundation)’s most prominent projects include:

No Footprint Wood House, Uvita, Costa Rica
No Footprint House (NFH), Ojochal, Costa Rica
Black House (Casa Negra), Dominicalito, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) achieve 3rd place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Winner	2
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	3
Total Projects	3

2. Salagnac Arquitectos

For Salagnac Architects, Contemporary Tropical Architecture promotes the maximum integration of the building and the environment, in order to diminish the impact it causes on nature. In this type of architecture, human comfort can be accomplished by means of efficient energy consumption systems, bioclimatic design strategies and advanced technology. This innovative architecture integrates, in a creative way, the environment, technology and aesthetics.

Some of Salagnac Arquitectos’ most prominent projects include:

Loma Sagrada House, Nosara, Costa Rica
Waldorf School Casa de las Estrellas, Nosara, Costa Rica
Design Studio Salagnac Arquitectos, Nosara, Costa Rica
Perla Negra House, Puerto Carrillo, Costa Rica
Casa Libertad, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Salagnac Arquitectos achieve 2nd place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	4
Featured Projects	6
Total Projects	21

1. Studio Saxe

Benjamin Garcia Saxe set up his own practice in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 2004, with the aim of exploring our relationship with the natural environment through architecture. Since then, Studio Saxe has grown into an award-winning international practice made up of a multidisciplinary team, creating buildings and spaces by blending technological innovation with handcrafted techniques to form truly sustainable designs. Founded on the belief that buildings must connect to their landscape – whether a tropical paradise or a concrete jungle – Studio Saxe brings a global attitude to solve local problems. Ideas and techniques from around the world can be harnessed to benefit communities, both at home and abroad.

Some of Studio Saxe’s most prominent projects include:

Sinfonía Verde, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Santiago Hills Villa, Santiago, Costa Rica
Sirena House, Santa Teresa Beach, Costa Rica
Containers of Hope
A Forest For a Moon Dazzler
Featured image: Villa Nuri, Cabo Velas District, Costa Rica

The following statistics helped Studio Saxe achieve 1st place in the 15 Best Architecture Firms in Costa Rica:

A+Awards Winner	1
A+Awards Finalist	1
Featured Projects	19
Total Projects	31

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “+” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

Project completed within the last 3 years
A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
High quality, in focus photographs
At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.

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