A Photographer Built a Brutalist Mansion in the Costa Rican Jungle Where ‘You’ll Hear Only the Birds

“It’s all poured concrete, metals and glass—there’s no wood,” he told Mansion Global.

There are no neighbors, making for a peaceful setting.Photo: John Dessarzin

His architectural photography work and exposure to different kinds of high-end homes inspired him to build this property, which was designed by architect Jaime Rouillon.

“Most of the houses here are all the same, mostly neoclassical, nothing special,” Dessarzin said. “So, I decided to make a house that’s a little bit different and earthquake-proof because we live in the Ring of Fire.”

The home juts out from a hillside, giving it far-reaching views of the surrounding landscape and the Costa Rican Central Valley—a favorite feature of Dessarzin and his wife, Guida. The property borders land that’s protected as a bird sanctuary, meaning no neighbors—the reason Dessarzin decided on the location.

There are three guest villas, which Dessarzin rents out on Airbnb.Photo: John Dessarzin

“I like the peacefulness where we are,” he said. “It’s very quiet, you’ll hear only the birds.”

Dessarzin wanted a minimalist design for the main house, which has two bedrooms—an upstairs primary suite and a downstairs guest suite—and an office, which Dessarzin used as his studio. The main living spaces on the upper level seamlessly open to the outdoors, where there is a patio and an infinity-edge pool.

The three guest villas, which Dessarzin rents out on Airbnb include a three-bedroom, two-bathroom villa; a small studio-like villa with an en-suite bathroom; and a casita, which is a “cozy one-bedroom, one-bathroom” near the entrance to the property, according to the listing with Pablo Fernandez of Engel & Völkers. He brought the home to the market in mid-October.

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Despite the property’s secluded location, it’s only a few miles from the small village of Atenas and about 40 minutes to Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose, where there’s an airport, shopping and hospitals, Dessarzin said. The beach is about an hour drive away.

The area attracts a large population of expats, mainly from the U.S., Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, Dessarzin added.

Eight years after building it, Dessarzin is parting with the property as he no longer wants to be an Airbnb host and is ready to move back to Europe—he and his wife plan to relocate to Portugal, where she’s from.

“Also,” he said, “Costa Rica has become extremely expensive.”