Building superb houses in tropics.

Completed

Bastimentos island

A house Arthur designed and built on Bastimentos island, Panama. An owner-builder project, shaped by its island setting.

In progress

El Espino

A current build. Follow the project as its design and construction story is documented.

Planned

Los Planes

A second house is planned for a 1,500 m² finca. The land area is not the proposed house size.

How to Compare House-Building Quotes in Panama

Compare Panama house-building proposals by floor area, scope, exclusions and allowances before judging the price per square metre.

Choosing a Roof for a Tropical House

Compare tropical roof options by heat, rain, condensation, maintenance and documented product limits, not just the roofing sheet price.

Humidity in a Tropical House: What to Measure and What to Ask

Understand indoor humidity, record useful observations and prepare better questions about moisture in a tropical house without guessing at the cause.

Plan a Tropical House for Shade, Breezes and Everyday Use

Build a room-by-room cooling brief for a tropical house, coordinating shade, natural ventilation and air-conditioned spaces before construction.

Planning an Earthquake-Resistant House in Panama

Prepare questions about the site, structural design, local requirements and construction records before building an earthquake-resistant house in Panama.

The House Handover File: Records You Will Want After Moving In

Organize a practical house handover file with equipment records, operating instructions, outstanding items and maintenance responsibilities.

Termite Protection: What to Verify Before Building

Understand the limits of termite shields, check product claims and prepare a documented prevention and inspection plan with a qualified local professional.

Planning Rainwater Collection: Quantity, Use and Water Quality

Separate rainwater collection volume from water quality, compare illustrative rainfall volumes and plan testing, materials and maintenance for the intended use.

Planning a West-Facing View in a Tropical House

Plan a west-facing tropical view with exterior shade, useful daylight and a clear window brief, then compare options before committing to a floor plan.

Before the Floor Plan: A Design Brief for a Rural Finca

Build a practical rural-finca design brief that separates household priorities, verified site information, service questions and unresolved decisions before drawing the house.

Changing the Plan During Construction: Keep a Clear Decision Record

Keep construction changes understandable with a record of scope, design review, cost, time, authorization and the drawings the site team should use.

Planning Material Deliveries for a Rainy-Season Build

Coordinate deliveries, protected storage, inspection and installation readiness during a rainy-season house build without relying on a universal tarp or drying rule.

Plan Home Wi-Fi Around the Rooms You Will Actually Use

Plan internet and Wi-Fi for masonry walls, workspaces and separate buildings, with a practical brief, testing plan and questions for the installer.

Leaving a Tropical Home Empty: Make a Plan for Checks and Responses

Prepare a tropical home for periods away with a maintenance plan, named contacts, meaningful observations and a response process for missing reports or problems.

Build a Whole-Project Budget, Not Just a Builder's Quote

Organize a house-building budget around the full project scope, cost ownership, uncertainty and payment timing, without relying on a generic cost per square metre.

Compare Home Energy Use Before You Claim a Saving

Read home energy records with billing days, meter scope, weather and occupancy in view. Learn what a simple kWh-per-day comparison can and cannot show.

Septic Planning Before You Fix a Rural House Layout

Prepare a rural wastewater brief before fixing the house layout: site evidence, responsibilities, access, approvals and operating records.

Coastal Roof Warranties: Check More Than the Number of Years

Compare coastal roof warranty documents by site eligibility, exact product, covered failure, exclusions, maintenance and final issuance.

Plan a Tropical Veranda Around Daily Life

Plan a tropical veranda with furniture, clear routes, shade, daylight and wet-weather use considered together before choosing its depth.

Plan Service Access Before Walls and Ceilings Close

Review equipment access before finishes hide the problem: normal use, professional servicing, replacement routes and coordinated drawings.

Thermal Mass in a Hot-Humid Home: Where Does the Heat Go?

Understand heat storage before choosing heavy walls or floors: warm nights, room operation, insulation and the questions a design study should answer.

Ceiling-Fan Planning: Start With the People, Not the Room Center

Prepare a ceiling-fan brief around occupied seats, usable speed controls, comparable performance data, exposure ratings and safe service access.

Bathroom and Laundry Planning: Give Everyday Moisture a Way Out

Plan showers, laundry drying and appliance choices together: exhaust destination, humid outdoor air, condensate handling, controls and verified handover.

Long-Lead Home Purchases: Connect the Order to the Work It Enables

Build a useful procurement record around approved selections, supplier evidence, dependent work and changing forecasts, without inventing delivery promises.

Compact, Courtyard or Pavilion: Compare the Plan Before Choosing the Look

Compare three house forms against the same tropical-home brief: actual breeze access, courtyard evidence, daily routes, room operation and complete project scope.

Test a Floor Plan With the Furniture in Use

Review interior storage and circulation with chairs pulled out, cupboards open and real household tasks in mind, before fixing the room layout.

Plycem Floorboards: Check the Product and the Whole Floor System

Review a Plycem floor proposal by matching the exact board, document revision, structural design, finishes and inspection responsibilities before purchase or enclosure.

Air-Conditioning Size and Humidity: Ask What the Proposal Was Designed to Handle

Review the load calculation, temperature and moisture needs, actual equipment performance and part-load operation before accepting an air-conditioning proposal.

Cool-Roof Ratings: Compare Reflectance, Emittance and SRI on the Same Basis

Read cool-roof product ratings without confusing initial and aged values, solar reflectance and SRI, or a surface rating with whole-house energy savings.

Choosing a Home Hot-Water System: Start with Use, Space and Available Service

Compare storage, tankless, heat-pump and solar hot-water proposals against household demand, installation space, energy supply, maintenance and local support.

Planning Household Water Storage Before Choosing a Tank

Plan household water storage around essential uses, outage patterns, refill access, maintenance and coordinated structural and plumbing decisions.

Planning Windows for Useful Daylight and Everyday Comfort

Compare windows room by room for useful daylight, glare, heat, ventilation, privacy, insect screens and rain before finalizing the opening schedule.

Solar-Ready Home Planning: Keep Future Panels From Becoming a Redesign

Prepare a useful solar-ready brief before choosing panels: coordinate roof changes, shade, future routes, household goals and evidence for the next decision.

Plan Home Backup Power Around Essential Household Needs

Prepare a home backup-power brief around essential loads, outage scenarios, safe operation and professional system design before choosing equipment.

Water Around Air-Conditioning Ducts: Understand the Possible Paths

Understand cold-surface condensation, air leakage and other water sources around cooling ducts, then prepare a safe observation record for professional review.

Outdoor Lighting Planning: See the Task Without Lighting the Neighborhood

Plan outdoor lighting around real tasks, glare, neighboring windows, controls and weather exposure, with a practical comparison and evening-review worksheet.

Stormwater and Wastewater: Verify the Routes Before You Pave

Separate rainfall runoff from household wastewater, understand combined and separate sewers, and record the destinations to verify before changing a site.

Stucco, Brick Veneer and Fiber Cement: Compare the Whole Wall

Compare stucco, anchored brick veneer and fiber-cement cladding by the wall system behind the appearance, including rain control, interfaces and proposal scope.

Choosing Exterior Timber: Match the Wood, Treatment and Exposure

Understand exterior timber species, heartwood and sapwood, preservative treatment and use categories before comparing products for a tropical house.

Concrete Curing Explained: Why Hardening and Drying Are Different

Learn how concrete curing supports hydration, compare moisture-protection methods, and separate curing records from loading and floor-covering decisions.

Home Acoustics: Separate Room Echo From Sound Between Rooms

Understand room reverberation, sound isolation and acoustic ratings before choosing finishes, partitions or windows for a tropical home.

Choosing Wet-Area Floors: Match the Surface to the Way It Gets Used

Compare wet-area flooring by actual use, slip-test evidence, surface texture, grout and maintenance, rather than one rating or a showroom sample.