01
Keep the landscape
The proposal retains existing vegetation and limits disturbance so new buildings sit lightly within El Puente's established garden and gathering spaces.
Design proposal complete · Fundraising for constructionPuerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica
El Puente
Housing.
A small place to stay can help sustain a much larger place of welcome.
El Puente – The Bridge · Journeyman International design team
Architectural visualization · Proposed volunteer accommodation
The opportunity
One compact project can meet three practical needs: a place for volunteers to stay, short-term refuge for families, and a modest source of earned income for El Puente's community programs.
Hospitality that serves
both people and place.
El Puente – The Bridge is a community resource center located between the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve and Puerto Viejo. Its programs connect local families with food, clothing, emergency assistance, education, micro-grants, shared meals, and community life.
The proposal adds two to four small accommodation units and a communal restroom and washing station to the existing site. The rooms can host visiting volunteers and guests, offer temporary shelter to families facing hardship, and create rental income that helps El Puente sustain its wider programs.
The design is complete as a proposal. The next steps are local professional review, final pricing, fundraising, approvals, and phased construction suited to a hot, humid, flood-prone coastal setting.
2–4
Proposed accommodation units
24–30°C
Year-round tropical temperatures
3
Uses: hosting, refuge, and earned income
The design response
Two useful additions.
One stronger community center.
Raised guest accommodation sits within the garden, while a separate restroom, shower, laundry, and washing pavilion supports both visitors and daily life across the site.
The project includes
- 01Volunteer and guest accommodation
- 02Temporary family shelter
- 03Private sleeping space and kitchenette
- 04Communal restrooms and showers
- 05Laundry, washing, and secure storage
What guides the proposal
02
Build for water and heat
Raised floors, broad roof overhangs, shade, natural airflow, and durable rain protection respond to a tropical rainforest climate with high humidity and flood risk.
03
Use familiar materials
Timber, woven ceilings, thatch, locally sourced brick, and galvanized roofing give each structure an appropriate balance of warmth, repairability, and weather protection.
04
Make every room work twice
The accommodation is planned for visiting volunteers and guests while remaining available as temporary refuge when local families must travel for services or face hardship.
A practical path to construction
Review locally.
Build in useful steps.
The accommodation and wash station can be coordinated as one project while moving through clear, manageable construction packages.
01
Local review + pricing
Confirm the path
Have licensed Costa Rican professionals review the proposal, confirm site and drainage conditions, coordinate utilities, and prepare reliable construction pricing.
02
Volunteer housing
Create the welcome
Set the building footprint, install foundations and structural posts, add the raised floor, partitions, kitchenette, storage, and protective roof.
03
Communal wash station
Strengthen the site
Prepare the slab and drainage, install the structure and partitions, connect fixtures, and complete the showers, restrooms, laundry, washing area, and lockers.
The design brief does not include a final construction budget. Scope, pricing, permits, technical drawings, calculations, and construction documents must be completed or validated by licensed professionals in Costa Rica before work begins.
Help El Puente build the next bridge
Give the project
a place to begin.
Fund the local review, pricing, and phased construction needed to add dependable accommodation and shared wash facilities to El Puente's existing community center.
Donations are received directly by El Puente through PayPal. Your support can help move the proposal through local review, pricing, approvals, and construction while El Puente continues serving families across Talamanca.
Project resources
Take the design forward.
Donate to the project
Support El Puente directly through its secure PayPal donation page.
Meet El Puente
Learn about the community center, its history, and the programs already serving families in Talamanca.
Project portfolio
Read the shorter Journeyman project story and see how the proposal fits the existing site.
Project team
- Humanitarian partner
- El Puente – The Bridge
- Project design
- Anna Gledhill and Kate Hamilton
- JI design team
- Blaise Mugisha and Christian Maisha
NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION, TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY IN-COUNTRY PROFESSIONALS.
View the project profile