Reserva Conchal, in Brasilito, is one of the places in Costa Rica where we already have built work. To build a house in Reserva Conchal, plan on 2,000 to 2,500 USD per m² before design fees. The community runs its own architectural review on top of the Santa Cruz municipal permit, and supplies water from its own well.
| Cost per m² | 2,000 to 2,500 USD · studio ranges 2026, without design fees; earthworks and retaining walls are priced separately |
|---|---|
| Municipality and time | Santa Cruz. CFIA about 30 days, Ministry of Health about 3 weeks above 300 m², municipal permit 2 to 4 weeks |
| Committee | Own architectural review · 2,000 USD per review, on the full permit set (architecture, electromechanical and structural) · 3 weeks to 1 month |
| Water | The community’s own well; Reserva Conchal manages availability for each lot |
| Our projects here | Sakura (built), Akari (under construction), Guayacán 1 (under construction), Ceibo 1 landscape (under construction) |
Our projects in Reserva Conchal
Two approval tracks
A house in Reserva Conchal needs two approvals: the community’s architectural review, made against the Reserva Conchal design guidelines, and the construction permit from the Municipality of Santa Cruz. We prepare both sets of submittals in parallel, so the weeks of one do not add to the weeks of the other. Because the committee reads the full permit set, the electromechanical and structural drawings have to be finished for the first submission, not only the architecture.
Each committee review is charged at 2,000 USD and is made on the full set of permit drawings. A second round costs the same again, so it pays to reach the committee with the design resolved: levels, heights, setbacks, roofs, materials and the landscape plan drawn and coordinated before the first submission.
- 01Design and schematic design, drawn against the Reserva Conchal design guidelines from the first sketch.
- 02Reserva Conchal architectural review: 2,000 USD per submission, on the full permit set (architecture, electromechanical and structural). It takes 3 weeks to 1 month.
- 03CFIA registration of drawings and professional responsibility, about 30 days on the APC platform.
- 04Ministry of Health, for houses above 300 m² of construction: about 3 weeks, after the CFIA and before the municipality.
- 05Municipalidad de Santa Cruz, construction permit: 2 to 4 weeks in practice.
Designing for the site
Reserva Conchal is on the coast, and salt aerosol reaches every surface the wind touches. The failures are predictable: mild-steel fixings bleeding rust, sliding-door rollers seizing in year two, aluminium pitting where a dissimilar metal was screwed into it. We specify against that from the drawing stage: 316-grade stainless steel for exposed fixings and hardware, marine-anodised aluminium frames, dense hardwoods for exposed timber, and detailing that drains so water leaves the assembly instead of sitting in it.
Exposed timber is a maintenance decision made in the drawings. A dense, durable species can be left to silver with an annual oil, or the assembly can be fully protected with drainage detailing under it. We explain the maintenance cycle before the choice is made. Planting does real work here too: a windbreak of salt-tolerant species on the exposed side protects the house and the garden behind it.
Landscape design in Reserva Conchal is part of the same project. Our gardens use native dry forest species and are designed by César E. Caso, the studio’s principal landscape architect, together with the house, so levels, drainage, shade and planting are resolved in one set of drawings and go to the committee together.
Questions about building in Reserva Conchal
“Melanie is a natural at what she does. She has an incredible eye for design and detail, but what really sets her apart is how well she listens to her clients. […] She and her team truly made the entire process so much easier for us.”
“Melanie and her team at CJarq are by far the best architects we’ve ever worked with. She is incredible professional, her designs are brilliant and she’s fun to work with. She spends an incredible amount of time with us on every detail. I have built several homes from the ground up and many remodels. This is beyond the best experience I’ve ever had. I will definitely be using her again. Thank you Melanie!”
Tell us about your lot in Reserva Conchal
Four fields. We reply with what we can tell you about that specific lot: access, water, setbacks and what the municipality will allow.