HOW TO DESIGN A HOUSE IN THE TROPICS: 3 IDEAS FOR JUNGLE LIVING
HOW TO DESIGN A HOUSE IN THE TROPICS: 3 IDEAS FOR JUNGLE LIVING
SO YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THE TROPICS?
You are staring out the window of your office and looking at the traffic you are about to face, and you wonder why you aren’t living on a beach somewhere? It’s not as far-fetched as you may think. Many people in all stages of life decide to switch gears and change their scenery. Some have a skill set that allows them to work online while living abroad.
Some have a skill set that will enable them to work wherever they choose to live. Finally, others are looking to stretch their money by retiring to a location with a low cost of living. Regardless of your situation, anyone can design a house in the tropics and live a life in a beautiful paradise.
TROPICAL OFF-GRID HOME DESIGN
When you decide to design your house in the tropics, and make the change to move from the suburbs to the tropics, you should not expect to build a typical suburban-style home in the jungle or on the beach.
Not only will it look entirely out of place, but it will not be functional in the tropical climate. I am not saying that you can not build whatever you desire, but good design complements the building environment and will function in concert with the climate.
The amount of sun, the amount of rain, the temperatures, the breezes, the insects, and the available building materials influence the elements of a tropical home. (To find out more details on solar living, check out our tips here.)
Tropical environments are ideal for designing an off-grid home. There is enough sunlight to charge batteries in the tropics, there is enough rain to fill water tanks, and the temperatures are consistent year-round.
One benefit from living in an off-grid home is that you do not have limits to build where the utility companies provide service. You can construct your tropical paradise tucked away in a remote location of the jungle, on a private beach, or on a tiny island.
Each location has subtle differences affecting the design. However, the main concepts in the tropical design remain similar. In this blog, I will use my own waterfront home built in the jungle as a case study.
Helpful Tip:
Many countries, including Panama, require a local architect licensed in that particular country to draft the final set of plans used for construction. If you are not comfortable drawing your own design, then you can communicate your ideas to the architect and he can draft the design. However, There are several drafting programs, like SketchUp, that allow you to do the design work yourself
1. WHEN YOU DESIGN A HOUSE IN THE TROPICS, DON’T BUILD MORE THAN YOU NEED
Foundation being placed 
First level of construction
There is no need to keep up with the Joneses when designing your tropical getaway. There are a few logical reasons to keep your floorplan to a minimum and only build what you need for your desired lifestyle. First, most building sites are not easily accessible and you must carry all the building materials in by hand.
In our case, we live on a remote island that has no roads and is accessible only by boat. We carried every bag of cement, every board, and every roof panel on our shoulders up a muddy hill to the building site. The bigger the house, the more material you will be hauling.
Secondly, one must remember that when you design a house in the tropics, tropical environments can require a great deal of maintenance. The Sun beats down on your varnished wood, and the UV rays will degrade everything it touches.
The rain causes untreated wood to rot and trees to fall. Termites are constantly on the hunt for any woods they can devour. The larger you design your floorplan, the more time you will spend keeping your home protected from these elements.
Finally, you will pay more for the same building materials than you would at Home Depot. There is no reason to spend a fortune on lumber and concrete building a massive house when you will be spending so much of your time outside enjoying the lifestyle that brought you to the tropics.
Many people looking to live in the tropics are looking to connect more with nature and their environment, and beautiful, creative design is more valuable than the sheer size of the home.
Tropical details being added 
Roofing and siding
2. DESIGN YOUR TROPICAL HOUSE FOR THE CLIMATE
If you plan to relocate to a tropical climate, you must design for lots of sun and rain. The lush green foliage of the jungle is also home to many flying insects, which will impact your design as well. Make sure you note what has been built around you to see what works and what materials are characteristic of your location.
RAIN
Rain
Rainfall is critical to living off-grid. It is used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, but keep the rain out of your house. Deep overhangs over porches, windows, and doors will not only provide shade but will also keep the sideways-driving rain from entering the home. Overhangs or soffits will often be four feet or more, yet the rain will still find its way into the openings.
So why don’t we just close our windows? This is not a standard practice in the design of a house in the tropics. Most of the jungle homes do not have glass in the windows. This feature is so you don’t block your breezes.
However, windows can be designed to have shutters that close for strong storms and lock when you are away. Finally, include gutters on the roofs to collect the rainwater and divert it to your water tanks.
Helpful tip:
Although a household of two that are conservative with water can easily get by with a single 4000-liter water tank, at least two water tanks are recommended.
If you have a problem with a tank, like a leak, you have a backup tank while you repair the damaged tank.
More importantly, you will not be able to clean your water tank effectively without draining the water from your tank. Without the second tank, you will be without water until the next significant rain.
SUN
Sun
Design shaded open areas to help fight the heat of the sun. Catch the prevailing breezes through large screened windows. You can remove rising heat from the home by including high clerestory windows in your design.
It is not wise to try and beat the heat by building your home in the shade of jungle trees. The trees have very shallow root systems and often blow over in heavy rains. Also, your roof is your water collection system. You should keep it as free from leaves as possible to lessen cleaning.
INSECTS
Open areas help with the heat of the Sun but leave you vulnerable to insects, like mosquitos and sand flies. Although some people want to have that open-air shower that faces the beautiful jungle view, it is not pleasant showering while standing naked in a swarm of blood-thirsty sand flies.
The annoyance of the biting insects does not outweigh the tranquility of living in paradise, but you still must plan for the morning and evening hours when these pests become more than a nuisance. You must compromise between screening yourself in with a fine-mesh sandfly-proof screen and the loss of both views and breezes. I would always recommend saving your views and breezes and using a standard insect screen.
MORE BUGS
Not only are there biting insects to consider, but there are also termites to consider. The jungle is full of termites, and they are very destructive. You must monitor your home for evidence of termite trails, as well as monitor the trees that surround your home.
Termites will eat a tree from the inside and weaken the trunk, which can then fall on your home. By using concrete footings and posts to support your home off the ground, termites are not only less attracted by the concrete, but their trails are easier to spot heading up to your house. Only build with treated wood or woods that are too dense for termites to ingest.
You can easily source treated pine in most places, and it is lightweight and easy to work. Additionally, local hardwoods are an option. However, be careful not to buy woods that are endangered or illegally cut. The hardwoods are so dense that they are considered termite-proof. But, this also means that they are too dense to drive a nail.
You will need to predrill all nail holes before installing the wood. Also, most of the wood is harvested and milled using chainsaws, so expect to do lots of planing and sanding to bring out the wood’s beautiful grain.
MOLD AND MILDEW
In Panamá, we receive around 250 centimeters of rain annually, and the climate is very humid. The moisture can encourage mold and mildew growth in areas that are not easily cleanable and dried, such as wall cavities.
Using treated woods helps reduce molds from growing on the exterior of your home. Inside, design using hard floors like tile and wood, rather than carpet.
Many jungle homes, including ours, uses a construction method called single-wall construction. This type of construction uses standard wood framing combined with external siding. However, it does not include a finished siding on the interior.
There is no insulation in the walls, nor is there gypsum board one can use to create a wall cavity. The framing is exposed, leaving no place for bugs and mold to hide. It creates a rustic look that blends well with the natural surroundings of the jungle and is a very cost-effective method of building.
3. DESIGN YOUR TROPICAL HOUSE FOR THE LOCATION
Each community and culture throughout the world has its own style and flavor. Design your home to work in harmony with that style. Maybe you want to make a statement with your home by designing something unique. However, try to work in an element or two that is common for your area so that it blends well with the community.
“Use design elements from the environment around you to make your home feel like it belongs as well. For example, our home includes a leaf and vine pattern cut into the fascia boards to reflect the flora of our jungle surroundings.”
I primarily reference the design of a wood-framed house in this design discussion since that is the primary construction method used in our area. However, there are other methods to consider as well. Discover what construction materials are available to you, and then determine what method of construction fits your design the best.
For example, concrete block is another preferred construction method as it is impervious to termites. However, the stucco look of the concrete block home was not the design look I was going for.
CONCLUSION
The final takeaway for having a great design for your house in the tropics: Research the climate, environment, and the available building materials for the area you are interested in relocating. Next, use that information to design a beautiful, functional home that is both energy-independent and affordable. The beauty of designing and building in the tropics is in your surroundings.
Therefore, do not feel pressured to overbuild and spend all your savings on the home. Enjoy your new paradise and save some of that money for the Piña Coladas!
If you want to know more about our jungle design or general buidling questions, feel free to leave us a comment in the comment section below!
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