Welcome to Barrio Vertical
At Barrio Vertical, we help you transform your ideas into clear, feasible, and well-planned architectural projects.
We invite you to schedule a free video call with our Project Coordinator and Lead Architect, Catalina Elizondo, who will guide you step by step in defining the ideal framework for your project.
During this session, we’ll organize and outline the design and construction stages, explain the A, B, C of the legal requirements for building in Costa Rica, and prepare a cost projection based on your needs and the country’s regulations.
Our goal is to provide you with clarity, confidence, and security in every decision you make. We want you to understand each step, clear up any doubts, and eliminate the myths that could put your investment at risk.
Building well starts with the right guidance.
Let’s start your project together.
Project Portfolio
Our custom designs are perfectly suited to Costa Rica’s climate and landscape. Each project is unique and developed in close collaboration with our clients, ensuring that every detail reflects their specific vision and needs.
Our Services
At Barrio Vertical, we support every stage of your project — from the initial idea to the final delivery. Our comprehensive approach allows us to offer architectural solutions that combine functionality, aesthetics, and full regulatory compliance, ensuring your investment is well planned and executed.
We analyze your site, design the preliminary project, handle permits, prepare budgets, and supervise construction with close attention to detail. We also integrate landscaping and interior design to create harmonious, cohesive, and vibrant spaces.
Each service is designed to help you build with clarity, confidence, and professional support.
Preliminary Studies
and Site Analysis
We evaluate your property to identify its potential, conditions, and limitations before starting the design.
Preliminary
Design
We bring your ideas to life with a preliminary design that lets you visualize your future space.
Plans &
Permits
We prepare all construction plans and handle the required permits with the corresponding institutions.
Budget &
Work Schedule
We define the project’s costs and execution schedule to ensure realistic and well-controlled planning.
Construction &
Site Inspection
We execute and supervise the construction to ensure every detail meets the design, quality, and established standards.
Landscaping &
Interior design
We design interior and exterior spaces that complement the architecture and enhance the overall experience of the built environment.
Comprehensive Architecture in Costa Rica
Barrio Vertical combines the deep understanding of Costa Rica’s climate, local regulations, and terrain conditions to create comfortable, efficient, and distinctive spaces. Our close and transparent guidance ensures that every client understands the process and enjoys the journey of building with professional support.
With Catalina, every project is designed with purpose and built with clarity.
About Us
Barrio Vertical is an architecture and construction firm based in Costa Rica. Founded by senior architects who graduated from the University of Costa Rica and have been practicing since 2007, the firm combines deep technical knowledge with a strong understanding of local conditions. Their designs respond to each site’s unique microclimate and environmental characteristics, ensuring comfort, efficiency, and sustainability.
Committed to meeting all national standards while remaining flexible to each client’s needs, Barrio Vertical embraces a philosophy of community, integration, and harmony with both people and nature. The firm actively promotes co-creation and cohousing as contemporary ways of living that foster connection and shared purpose.
- 2024 SEED Certificate Global Meeting on fertile soil, biomaterials and regenerative projects. México City
- Award Female Business Owner 2019
- Architect and general contractor since 2007
Catalina Elizondo Arrieta
Let’s Talk About Architecture in Costa Rica
In our YouTube channel, you’ll find videos created by our team that clearly and practically explain various topics related to design, construction, and architectural regulations in Costa Rica.
Our goal is to help you better understand the process, clarify common doubts, and provide useful information so you can make informed and confident decisions about your project.
Learning about architecture is also part of building well.
Choose to connect with our experiences
Choose to schedule a free video call with our project coordinator architect and head of design, Catalina Elizondo. Together, we can generate a clear outline of the project you have in mind. We like to personally organize and schematize the different stages so that you have them clear, and we will explain the A, B, C of requirements and steps to follow to build in Costa Rica in a regulated and legal manner.
Additionally, we will provide a cost projection for services based on the minimum requirements set by the country and your spatial needs linked to the current cost of your project. We aim to generate a clear guide for you, as well as address any doubts you may have regarding information you’ve obtained from other sources. We’ll dispel myths to ensure your investment is secure and you feel confident in your decisions.
Discover some of our materials
Earth, concrete, metal, wood, stone and their behavior in the Tropics. Costa Rica also adds the variable of seismicity regulated by the Construction Code to which professionals must adhere in the Federated College of Architects and Engineers of Costa Rica, an institution that is one of the requirements to obtain construction permits, in addition to the cantonal Municipality among others. With site observation and a comprehensive analysis of climatic variables on your property, we balance the elements that will give comfort, health, and durability to your project.
Taking into account natural light, ventilation, vegetation, topography, and maximizing them with angles and openings under an inside/outside concept, our goal is for it to integrate adequately with the environment, bringing external scenarios to the interior. Barrio Vertical has taken the basic elements of construction and visualizes them as skins and bones, layers that follow more organic patterns, in varied styles according to our clients’ tastes.
We answer your questions
Can a foreigner buy land in Costa Rica?
Yes! There are no restrictions on this in the country, and there are several ways to purchase property. Costa Rica is known for its tourist attractions, and many foreigners fall in love with the green landscapes, beaches, vegetation, and fauna during their visits. This has motivated many tourists to invest in one or more properties for vacation, housing, or even retirement.
How much does a square meter of construction cost in Costa Rica?
According to the CFIA (Federated College of Engineers and Architects), the minimum construction cost per square meter is 375,000 colones / $723 USD. High-quality standard: $1000-$1300/m². Premium finishes: $1350-$1850/m². Deluxe: $1900-$3500/m².
What are the requirements to obtain construction permits?
To obtain construction permits in Costa Rica, you must hire the services of a professional registered with the CFIA (Federated College of Engineers and Architects). This professional is responsible for guiding, advising, and processing the permits. For the process, the design and technical information stage must be reflected in the plans with the CFIA standard format, and at least information in the areas of Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Electromechanical Engineering must be attached, each area supervised by an expert in their field. The college makes an appraisal of the project on which a tax must be paid and sends the sealed documents to the corresponding Municipality, attaching several necessary documents of site location information previously processed. Here, another tax is also paid, and for the Municipal seal by National regulation, insurance must be paid with the INS on the construction process and the people on site, which is mandatory. These items are the client's responsibility. After these procedures, you have at least 12 months to start construction without having to present a renewal of the permits.
What basic documents should I request when buying a property?
Request a cadastral copy and a Literal Certification (a copy of the property deed from the National Registry of Costa Rica), and/or an Extracted Certification (a summary of the registration, owner's name, percentage of rights, and legal status of the property). From the Municipality, request a Land Use permit for construction viability and water availability from AyA (Aqueducts and Sewers) or ASADA. Cadastral plan copies and the sales contract should be verified by a lawyer. Investigate if the property has any liens such as mortgages or usufruct rights. The actual transfer of the property is legally sealed by signing the sales contract. If the sale process will extend for a longer time, you can request a purchase agreement. Contracts can be made as an individual or with others in the name of a corporation.
What should I obtain when hiring an Architecture and Construction company?
On the CFIA website, under Professional Services Contracts, you can find the minimum percentages charged by professionals in charge. The calculation of service fees is based on the project's square meters. The professional in charge should indicate to the client how much they estimate the construction per meter will cost, depending on the area and the final product the client desires. The minimum percentage is 11%, but there are items outside this percentage that are highly recommended. This percentage does not include construction, only Project Management or turnkey construction. The minimum percentages are: 1. Preliminary studies analysis: 0.50% 2. Concept and Design: 1.50% 3. Plans for permit process (architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical): 4.00% 4. Technical direction of the work (inspections): 5.00%
Does Barrio Vertical offer all the necessary legal services to design and build in Costa Rica?
Yes, we offer a free video call to clarify your doubts and collaborate in the process. Contact us.
Let's talk about your project
We’d love to hear from you and learn more about your ideas. You can schedule a video call every Tuesday or Thursday using the form below, or reach out directly through the WhatsApp button in the lower right corner.
Whether you’re just starting to plan or already have a project in progress, we’re here to guide you with clarity and expertise.
Let’s start building together.
Schedule a Call
If your inquiry is to schedule a video call, we’ll get back to you soon to confirm a date — remember, we schedule calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Our Social Networks