Houses of Atenas, Costa Rica

by Bob

I have been taking pictures of the houses here in Atenas. I have assembled those pictures into a slideshow and posted it to YouTube. (See also below.) My purpose is to show something about the culture and architecture of Costa Rica as seen from the perspective of an American.

What I see:

I see a preoccupation with physical home security. Security fencing surrounds most homes. Sometimes the fencing might be called a courtyard enclosure, but that's security fencing done pretty. Homes are often situated side-by-side, creating a fortress of homes. My surmise is that the police force is not effective in catching and convicting thieves.

On the other hand, the Costa Rican incarceration rate is much lower than the United States, 130 something per 10K citizens vs. 740 something for the US.

I see responsibility for personal property left to the owner of that property rather than to the state.

I see no evidence of zoning ordinances, or, at least not of zoning enforcement.

On the other hand, property rights are respected. The result is a mingling of property uses - auto repair shops adjacent to upscale residential homes, for example. My discussions with Gringos here and in El Coco have revealed that most find this juxtaposition jarring, as I also find it so. On the other hand, juxtaposition allows services to be located close to residences and eliminates the need for cars. I don't like cars because they cost 50 cents a mile or more to operate.

I don't really think that you can see all this in my photos. What you can see in the photos is the security fencing and a little bit of architectural styling.

Houses in Atenas, Costa Rica. (Video/photos by Bob)

 

My View, by Connie

I, too, am fascinated by the houses in Costa Rica. When Bob and I take walks or rides together, in Atenas or elsewhere, we sometimes either notice different things or have different responses to the things we both notice. I find that I have emotional responses to these houses. Some I find very pleasing; others, I find disturbing, unsettling.

What I find extremely pleasing in some of the homes is the Spanish-style architecture, the brightly colored paint, the colorful and pleasing flowering shrubs and the unusual trees, the individuality and creativity of the occupants as reflected in their home, the hints of the intriguingly private courtyards and other spaces. My emotional response to these homes is very positive.

A little more about the architecture. The home designs here are most always influenced by the architecture of the Spanish colonial period. The fortified look and functionality of the homes, that Bob described above - the walls, fences, iron grillwork on the otherwise open windows, the inner courtyards hidden from public view - all derives from the old Spanish influence. The Spanish-style architecture reminds me of the home I grew up in, in Miami Beach, Florida - a Spanish-style white stucco home with a red tile roof. (I have seen red tile roofs in other parts of Costa Rica, but here in Atenas, the colorful roofs, though they have the appearance of tile, are actually metal.)

As Bob mentioned, there appear to be no neighborhood zoning laws here. So, it is not uncommon to find a very well-kept and attractive house right next door to, and often abutting, a very messy, junky-looking home. People here don't appear to notice or mind. I find it very jarring. Aesthetics are important to me, and I find these situations - which are very common - confusing.

In this vein, we have also noticed varying degrees of tidiness or shabbiness in the homes. Some people do keep their places looking well-maintained and beautifully landscaped. But some do not. We often see all sorts of trash and old junk around these houses. I feel repelled by this and sad, because the country is so beautiful and it seems such a shame to junk it up this way. In this, my judgmental side definitely shows.

And then, there is the issue of security, which Bob mentioned above. Many homes, especially in villages, towns, and cities - but also sometimes in rural areas - are built as contiguous structures. There is little or no space between them. Sometimes they share common walls on one, two, or three sides. The sides that are not shared have some sort of barrier - wall, fence, or impenetrable hedge. Many houses are gated. Others may have high concrete walls. Many also add layers of barbed wire to their heights. Anyone with a car has their vehicle locked in behind a sturdy gate or heavy metal door. Homes and shops have metal bars over their windows and doors.

Bob has mentioned that in this culture, the police presence is very low-profile, and it appears that the main responsibility for protecting one's property is placed on the home-owner, not on the police. So, these fences and walls must be an effective deterrent and, I assume, give the occupants a sense of security. For me, they create mixed feelings - security, in the sense that our rental apartment seems very secure by these standards, but also some level of anxiety to think that theft might be so rampant here, and the police protection so non-existent, that all these measures are absolutely necessary.

What you will see in this video, I think, is a wonderful variety of Costa Rican homes - more of the well-kept ones, though, and not many of the perplexing juxtapositions that we have mentioned and observed.

 

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