← back work · project
// residential

l34.

a 4,062 m² private residential development on a pacific reef island. salt, onshore wind, east-facing rooms with sea views. the design was sized to bring daylight in without bringing the cooling load with it.

l34
location
ocean reef, panamá
year
2021
area
4,062 m²
typology
residential
status
in construction
role
architecture + energy simulation
+62%
// the proof

daylight access increase.

useful daylight illuminance · vs. baseline scheme.

// the project

brief, approach, outcome.

// brief

the site is an artificial reef island on panamá's pacific coast. constant east-to-west onshore wind, salt in everything, and a residential program asking for sea views from rooms that face the sun.

east-facing glass is the easiest way to add cooling load in this climate. the design had to keep the views and the daylight without adding the bill.

// approach

the master section was redrawn so that east glazing sat behind a deep planted veranda, a shaded outdoor room rather than a curtain wall. planting was specified for salt and wind from the start. the model resolved the trade between view, shade, and cooling on a room-by-room basis rather than as a global rule.

interior renderings courtesy of manfredi arquitectos.

// design moves

the decisions that shaped it.

01
shaded veranda
continuous planted overhang on the east elevation; pre-grown native salt-tolerant species.
02
glazing
laminated low-e on east and west; minimum north openings sized for daylight only.
03
roof
ventilated rainscreen with reflective underlay; continuous insulation.
04
ventilation
cross-section tuned to the onshore breeze; ceiling fans on every habitable room.
views earned by shade, not borrowed against the cooling bill.