energy-led tropical
architecture.
entrópica is a tropical architecture studio in panamá. the sun, the heat, and the humidity determine the energy cost of a project. that is our starting point for design.
in temperate-climate practice, shade, ventilation, humidity, and energy are usually resolved later, tacked on as an engineering layer at the end. here they are part of the brief from the first drawing. thermal performance defines form, materiality, and the way our projects are inhabited. we design architecture for the tropics using climate as the primary material.
designing from the climate has measurable results.
ignoring the climate has measurable results too.
more in operative costs over the lifetime of the building.*
* ashrae · iea cooling report, 2024.
we design with energy simulations, to avoid:
because you wouldn't build without knowing how the building will look, even just from a render. same thing, but for energy.
architectural services, energy-led.
from concept to construction, energy is a design criterion from day one.
concept design
orientation, massing, and program tested against the climate before the design is committed.
architectural design + coordination
full architectural delivery, including complementary engineering disciplines.
permitting + documentation
construction documents that pass review and that the contractor can actually build.
energy + performance advisory
envelope simulation, daylight studies, leed / edge support, as a standalone or in-house service.
some of the clients we've earned.
- promotora azul rubí
- linton bay
- regor assets
- global bank
- festieventos
- jolly roger diving
- atn polaris
- servicios carlos
- estrella azul
- us pharmacy group
- kart 21
- eurostone
- current technologies
- agrupetrol
- donde josé
- fonda lo que hay
- durán coffee select
- wall st. bar and lounge
- lung fung
- dainer 16
- hostales selina
- esa flaca rica
- wirtschaftsuniversität wien
- santuario nacional
- anep
- universidad de panamá
- municipio de san miguelito
- ministerio público
- soba design
- rancho grande
- george moreno & partners
- labhaus studio
- forza creativa
- sousa design architects boston
josé barría.
registered architect and founder of entrópica.
his work spans the americas, asia, africa, and europe. he taught and researched at the panamá green building council in 2013, co-founded pentagrama estudio de diseño in 2015, and in 2018 co-founded acta, panamá's first sustainable innovation zone. since 2026, he is part of mat, the tropical architecture movement. outside entrópica, he is a partner at trimpacta, the corporate side of the same problem: water footprint, carbon, and sustainability reporting.
more about the studio