April 2008 Update

Surf season has arrived, but the point looks blissfully empty in this shot. That wave looks glassy and fun.










































The zinc roofing is up and they are texturing the walls.





























Manuel and Jose keeping a close eye.

That's my Selva Del Mar partner, Rick Flanagan, looking out from the master bedroom.

Aloha.

March 2008 Update

Hello from Rancho Santana, Tola, Nicaragua. With the dry season, progress on Villa Espiral has picked up. They are putting on the roof. The cane ceiling is in throughout the house and now the zinc roofing is going up. The clay tiles will go on top of the zinc.

Oh Yeah, the surf has been good!

I don't know what these guys are looking at. Maybe you are looking at the pool outline. But I keep looking beyond, at that left reeling by.

The curved part of the wall, above Luis Manuel and Gonzalo, will hold the indirect lighting.

This is how the indirect lighting form is made. You bend the rebar to the shape of the template.


So where do you get your inspiration for the shape of the template?

What better than Jennifer Lopez's famous curvature?

You get the picture. Thank you Jennifer!

This part of the cane ceiling has been varnished, and the cords for the lights are hanging down.

Meanwhile, out in front of Villa Espiral, one can see why they call this beach Rosada

Pretty close. By the time it dries completely, and adjusted for the differences in light, we have almost matched the beach.

Aloha.

February Update

Hi Folks,

Last week, I took these pictures of the progress on Villa Espiral, Rancho Santana, Tola, Nicaragua. This is the view from the road going up to Casa Ensueno. As you can see, dry season is upon us. They call this area dry tropical area because of this seasonal change from October's drenching rains to April's windy and parched austerity. Some of the trees lose their leaves, but they begin to blossom.

This picture is taken from Antonio Granado's lot next door. He tells me he plans to turn it into a garden, to preserve the view from his house behind it. This will make Villa Espiral look even more beautiful.

The prevailing offshore wind will funnel through this area and pull warm air out of the house, keeping the interior cool.

Did you notice how Jose is in most of these shots? He is an excellent, dedicated foreman. This man is on task. "Siempre," as he says.

Note the curvey entrance steps. Pepe used these at Pelican Eyes and Piedras y Olas in San Juan del Sur. Next to it is a planter. I have some ideas for plants that would creep out of the planter and up that adjacent post.

The curved cement form they are finishing is for the indirect lighting that will illuminate the Cane ceiling and soften the light from the more energy friendly flourescent lights.

Aloha.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Villa Espiral. We wish you a bright and fulfilling year. Our villa is coming along well as you can see. This is the view from the dining room. The road you can see leads up to Jan's place, called Casa Ensueno.








This is the view from the living room. Did you notice that left peeling off, with another one coming in behind it?















































This is the view from one of the kitchen windows.





































When this part of the roof is done, there will be 3 skylights and the rest will be covered in bamboo cane.
















































This is the backyard area.














Aloha