Question 1

why not just install ac and forget about passive design?

Accepted Answer

you can, and almost everybody does. the cost shows up on the bill. in a fully air-conditioned single-family house, cooling is around 70% of the electricity use, and panamá's residential tariff is progressive, so that consumption is billed in the most expensive block of the month. shading the west face and controlling the glazing before sizing the equipment cuts the cooling load by about 40% under the res v.2 code. the air conditioning is still there: it just works less, every month, for 30 years.

Question 2

why does the electricity bill climb so fast in panamá?

Accepted Answer

because the residential tariff is progressive. the first 300 kwh of the month run around USD 0.091/kwh; from 301 to 750 kwh they rise to about 0.158; above 750 kwh the kilowatt runs around 0.230. air conditioning is usually what pushes you into the expensive block, so the last kwh of the month cost more than twice the first ones. cutting the consumption that sits in the top block is where the real saving is.

Question 3

how much does it cost to build a house in panamá in 2026?

Accepted Answer

for a single-family house we work with ranges of USD 370 to 500 per m² at a basic finish, 650 to 850 at standard, and 1,300 to 2,200 at premium, plus roughly 15% of indirect costs: design, municipal permits, and legal. it excludes land, furniture, and the itbms on professional services. you can run the range against your own project in the cost calculator.

Question 4

how much does passive design actually save?

Accepted Answer

the res v.2 code targets roughly a 40% cut in cooling, 30% in lighting, and 5% in plug loads, which across the total lands in a 20 to 38.8% energy-saving band. that is the code's design intent rather than measured performance, which is why we simulate each project against panamá's real recorded weather instead of quoting the regulation's figure. across the life of the building, ignoring the climate costs 30 to 50% more to operate (ashrae · iea cooling report, 2024).

Question 5

is it better to renovate or build from scratch?

Accepted Answer

it depends on the state of the structure, and the opening numbers help you decide. the municipality of panamá sets a reference floor of USD 250 to 500 per m² to renovate a single-family home, against 650 to 850 for a standard new build. the fees invert: coici charges a minimum of 2.00% of the global cost for reforms to existing structures, against 1.00% for a new residence, because cutting into concrete that already exists carries more risk. the calculator has a renovation mode to compare both routes.

Question 6

what do i need to start a project with entrópica?

Accepted Answer

a first conversation about the brief and the place is usually enough to begin.

Question 7

where do you work?

Accepted Answer

we take on design projects internationally, but permit approvals are panamá only, for obvious reasons.

Question 8

do you handle building permits?

Accepted Answer

yes. preliminary designs, miscellaneous drawings, and construction documents, in the municipality of panamá and countrywide.

Question 9

how much does it cost to build a climate-led building?

Accepted Answer

it depends. the median construction cost in panamá is around USD 1,000/m². we run workshops with the client and contractor to value-engineer anything that affects the capex. our main focus, though, is reducing opex over the building's lifetime.

Question 10

do you help with leed or edge certification?

Accepted Answer

yes. we support leed and edge applications with energy and daylight modelling, and with documentation the certifying body recognises. we also offer it as a standalone service for projects where the architecture is already underway.

Question 11

do you do interior projects, or only new builds?

Accepted Answer

both. in a new build the envelope is still to be defined; in interiors the envelope is fixed and the work is rearranging spaces and systems to win thermal comfort with what is already there. the same energy logic applies in either case.

Question 12

what is bioclimatic architecture, and why does it matter in panamá?

Accepted Answer

it means designing with the climate instead of against it: using orientation, shade, ventilation, and the envelope so the building is cool before it depends on air conditioning. in a hot, humid tropical climate like panamá, those decisions set how much energy the building spends for the rest of its life.

Question 13

do i need to own the land before talking to you?

Accepted Answer

not necessarily. if you already have the site, we can run orientation and solar studies on the real plot. if you are still choosing, we can help you read how climate and position would affect the project before you commit.

Question 14

do you work with other architecture firms?

Accepted Answer

yes. part of our advisory work is alongside other architecture firms and product manufacturers, bringing energy and performance modelling to projects that already have a design team.

Question 15

what languages do you work in?

Accepted Answer

spanish and english, for both documentation and coordination with clients and consultants inside and outside panamá.

what people usually ask.