Casa Loros Bed & Breakfast

Progress Report

January, 2009 thru January, 2010

This is the Casa Loros Progress Report for 2009 and 2010.

Much progress has been made as you can see from the photos below.  Accomplishments this year are as follows:

As you can see, Leyner's prediction of the completion of the project in February has not happened.  In part, this is because of the state of the economy that developed suddenly last Fall causing us to have to ask the Leyner to reduce the size of the construction team.  We found that we were temporarily unable to fund the payroll for the whole team of ten men and asked him to reduce it's size to no more than four men.  This, of course reduced the pace of the construction and also reduced the cash flow used to purchase materials required for the construction.  However, progress IS being made albeit at a slower pace.

Fred journeyed once again to Costa Rica in March to survey the current status and to meet with Juan Carlos and Leyner to discuss which projects would be worked on over the next few months and the order in which they would be started and completed.

Fred also took this opportunity to hire a guard to stay on the property whenever the workers were not there.  The construction is at a point that would appeal to thieves who would love to take the working parts of the well, the windows and the electric cable that has been run through the walls and ceiling.

We hope you enjoy the photos below.  Remember to click on the thumbnails to enlarge them.  They were taken during the period of January 16 thru September 26, 2009.

The photos on this page were taken by Juan Carlos, our Architect and Project Manager and Fred.

Each group of photos is immediately followed by a description.

 

                              

The first three photos in this group show the workmen installing the sheetrock ceiling on the front porch.  The third is of the great room looking at the future kitchen.  The window will be behind the kitchen sink.  The two stacks of sheetrock will be used for the ceilings.  The last two show the workmen installing the soffit around the porch roof.  The material they're using is compressed fiberglass.

 

                                       

This group of photos was taken on January 24, 2009. The first photo shows that work on the soffit is continuing.  The next three show the kitchen and dining areas respectively.  Notice that the stack of sheetrock is much smaller.  The next is of the master bedroom looking toward the ocean.  The next photo shows the sheetrock being installed on the ceiling of the upper level guest room.  The next to the right was taken from the corner of the dining area looking across the great room.  The kitchen is to the left out of sight.  The two doors on the far wall are entries to the master bedroom suite.  The one on the left gives access to the pool and patio area.  The last shot was taken from the second level covered front porch looking out over the ocean.

 

                           

This group was taken on February 6, 2009.  The first is of the back of the house.  The doorway on the left is an outside entry to the master bedroom and laundry area.  The central opening is the pool and patio area.  The next shows the framing for the glass wall which will separate the great room from the pool and patio area.  The cutout at the apex of the roof will be a skylight.  This photo was taken from the back of the house looking into the great room.  The next was taken from the great room looking toward the back of the house.  The door on the left is the pool entrance of the upstairs guest suite.  Again, the cutout overhead will be a skylight.  The next is of the great room looking toward the dining area and kitchen.  The pool area is to the right and the front porch is to the left. The next photo is of the master bedroom.  The next is another of the front porch looking toward the ocean.  The last photo was taken from the parking area.  It gives you an idea of the scope of the structure.

 

                               

This group was taken on February 16, 2009.  The first is the south side of the structure looking toward the ocean.  Behind this wall is the master bedroom suite and laundry.  The next shows one of the workmen putting final touches on the exterior wall.  The next shows the front porch looking toward the north.  Moving to the right, the first was taken from the kitchen area looking toward the front porch.  The next is of the pool and patio area looking through the great room toward the ocean.  The next shows the back of the house.  The next two show the well head and the well pump control box, respectively.

                   

 

This group was taken on March 5, 2009.  The first was taken from the south stairway and looks across the porch floor.  Note that almost all of the floor has a second layer of concrete applied to it in preparation for the tile.  The next photo shows the unfinished area around the stairway from which the first photo was taken.  The next shows workmen applying and smoothing the second layer of concrete in preparation for laying the tile.  The next shows the front of the structure.  There are stairways on each side of it.  The one on the north side is visible on the left.  The last photo in this group was taken from the great room looking through the future glass wall into the pool and patio area.

 

                                   

This series of shots was taken on March 12, 2009.  The first two are of the front porch looking into the great room and from the great room looking toward the front porch and dining area.  Note that we now have windows!  The next photo is of the master bedroom and the one to its right shows one of the workmen putting the finishing touches on the window above the kitchen sink.  The next shows one of the windows in the upstairs guest room looking at the mountain tot he south.  The next was taken from the pool and patio area looking through the house onto the front porch and the ocean.  The last in this series shows one of the electricians working on the interior wiring.

                                              

This group of photos was taken on May 11, 2009.  The first four are of the glass wall between the great room and the pool and patio area.  The first was taken from the great room looking through the pool and patio area toward the jungle on the hills behind the property.  The second is also taken in the great room from the dining area.  The third is taken from the back of the property looking through the pool and patio area into the great room.  The fourth is of the future skylight and the clear story windows.  The next photo is of the guest room on the second level and the one following is of the master bedroom.  The next two are of the dining area and the kitchen and dining areas, and the last is of the front porch on the second level.

 

                                        

                          

This group was taken on June 25 during the "Rainy Season".  The first two show crewmen working on the north front stairway and the third shows the finished stucco across the entire upper level deck.  The next four show the construction techniques to build concrete countertops on sinks in the master and guest bedrooms.  The first photo on the second row shows the window and door installation looking from the dining area out toward the pool area; the second photo shows the windows and doors looking from the pool and patio area into the great room.  Photo three shows a crewman working on the area around the well head and control box.  A bodega (storage building) is currently being built in this area to protect the well head and it's control boxes.  The last two show the back of the house.  The doorway shown in the fourth photo is the same doorway that appears in the last photo.  This doorway provides entry to the master bedroom suite.  As you enter that door from the outside, the laundry is on the left and the Master bathroom's huge shower is on the right.

 

                            

        

           

This group was taken during the week of September 20 thru 26.  The first shows the house's southwest corner.  The automobile was Fred's rental car.  This gives you an idea of the scale of the home.  The second was taken from the northwest corner of the "Grand Plaza" on the second level.  The couple in the photo manage the hotel where we stay when we're visiting.  The next is a view of the Pacific Ocean taken from the "Grand Plaza".  The fourth from the left was taken from what will be the swimming pool area looking through the house toward the ocean in front of the house.  Photo five shows the area that will become the kitchen area.  It also shows the short hallway into the upper level's guest suite.  The door on the left will house a powder room and there is also a small closet just beyond the powder room's doorway.  Photo six shows another view of the kitchen area and the dining area to it's left.  The next shows the dining area and space for one of the two seating areas in the Great Room.  The last photo on the top row is another view of photo seven but it includes more of the ceiling so you are able to see the height of the lower part of the ceiling.

The first photo on the middle row is a view from the "Grand Plaza" through the house, across the future swimming pool and out to the mountain behind us which is covered with primary jungle and has a waterfall that can be heard from the back of the property.  The next shows the glass wall between the Great room and the pool area.  Photo three shows a close up of the wood used for the doors and door frames.  It is a local cedar that's hard, insect resistant and closely resembles mahogany. This material will be used for all wooden features of the home. 

The first photo on the last row in this group shows the back of the house.  The pool will be installed here with half of it under roof and the other half in the sun.  The second photo in this group shows a cicada who stopped by for a visit.  He is approximately six inches long.  He stayed in the same spot for several hours.  The third photo shows rain-bearing clouds coming over the mountain behind the property.  During the Rainy season, also called the Winter and Green season, it normally rains during the late afternoon and evening.  Imagine being able to watch a thunderstorm while seated on the Grand Plaza with a beverage of your choice! The last photo in this group shows the great room looking toward the kitchen and dining areas  Note that the baseboard tile has been installed.

 

                           

This group of photos showing some of the exterior doors was taken on November 5, 2009.  The first two are of the main entrance.  The next two are of the entry door to the upstairs guest room.  The fifth shows the pool entrance to the master bedroom and the last shows the entry to the storage area and maid's quarters on the first floor.  All of the doors and other woodwork will be constructed of the local cedar.  It's hard and strong and closely resembles mahogany.

 

   

These photos show the main room of the house with its final paint.  The ceilings throughout the house are white and the walls are pale yellow.

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