Honduran architect Angela Stassano is contributing to Central America's architectural landscape with her applied research regarding bioclimatic designs. Based in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, her projects draw from local heritage techniques to address the needs of hot, humid tropical environments. Stassano has developed her expertise through over 30 years of hands-on research, culminating in a bioclimatic architecture guide that outlines her methods for construction in this region. One of her most notable projects, Las Casitas, is a residential complex that embodies this research. The project includes multiple energy-efficient tropical houses that harness the local climate, resulting in low energy and operational costs.
San Pedro Sula, located in the Sula Valley in the north of Honduras, is the country's second-largest city and biggest industrial hub. The area is characterized by a hot humid tropical climate that presents both challenges and opportunities for architects committed to sustainable design. Located along the base of "El Merendon" Mountain, the city is known for its high humidity, frequent rain, and consistently warm temperatures. During a year, it may oscillate between 28 and 35 degrees Celsius, and it is characterized by two seasons: a wet season that brings intense rainfall, often leading to flash flooding and humidity-related damage, and a dry season with high temperatures resulting in extensive use of cooling systems.
Stassano's philosophy is deeply rooted in the traditional architecture of San Pedro Sula, mainly consisting of wooden houses. These houses date back to the early 20th century and were influenced by North American residential styles, adapted to the conditions of the north coast of Honduras. Together, they form a cohesive typology that is present all around the "Las Casitas" complex, characterized by covered porches or corridors with louvered windows, ventilated attics, stilt foundations that allow airflow from below, and large overhangs that protect all doors and windows.
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In response to these conditions, Stassano has dedicated a large part of her career to applied research, developed in collaboration with national and international students joining her workshops and tours to gain a better understanding of climate-adapted architecture. They often visit and live at her experimental complex called "Complejo Plaza Comercial Bioclimatica Techos Verdes", a few steps away from "Las Casitas", in a neighborhood called "El Barrial". Her mission has been to find suitable techniques that work in the local context, while at the same time being easy to replicate and adapt in order to reduce maintenance and energy costs at relatively low budgets. Her strategy involves several key principles that showcase how architecture can work in sync with climate considerations, employing these conditions to improve the quality of life of residents.
"The key concept in the tropics is permeability", says Stassano, assuring that in humid climates, we must let the elements flow. Stagnant air fosters mold growth and can lead to sick building syndrome. Similarly, blocking the natural water flow during rainstorms can cause serious flooding. To counter this, the first strategy was to raise the houses from the ground, resulting in several advantages. Floor levels are based on past flood elevations, with pile heights in San Pedro Sula ranging from 0.5 to 3 meters. "In the past, people would elevate their houses on stilts and when the floods came, they would stock up on food and remain safe on the raised floor. Some households would even have a canoe for transportation during the season," explains Stassano.
This strategy not only protects the household during floods, but it also has positive side effects regarding the thermal comfort in the interior. Raised buildings create a cool shaded zone beneath the structure. This contributes to cooling the elevated floorplate while ensuring proper ventilation. During dry conditions, this cool shaded area open to the elements provides an essential space for gatherings and family activities, allowing them to take full advantage of the courtyard.
Added to this, Las Casitas gives a spin to the traditional stilts. Instead of multiple stilts, the buildings are elevated on a large central hollow concrete pillar. Air vents inside this pillar take the cooled fresh air from beneath the structure and bring it into the interior elevated spaces. To enhance this, open floor plans with a permeable upper band help enhance interior airflow, ensuring sufficient ventilation to prevent heat buildup in the interior. All spaces of the house are conceived to allow this air circulation, including the closets, which feature permeable doors using blinds or mesh to not hinder the flow of air.
Once inside, the air flows upwards and is suctioned out of the house through ventilation chimneys on the roof. A small, raised section in the roof, with a gap between the main structure and a translucent sheet, allows for ventilation and natural light diffusion. This setup enables warm air to escape, while indirect sunlight enters, reducing harsh shadows and glare.
Complementing the strategies in the interior, the exterior walls can also work towards thermal comfort. Adding green elements that provide diffused shadow to sun-exposed surfaces while allowing air to flow between the element and the wall creates a tropical version of insulation. These simple vertical screens are placed about 20 cm away from the wall. The gap prevents mold from forming between the layers and can significantly reduce the heating of the wall thus improving thermal conditions.
Finally, it is important to remember that abrupt temperature changes can negatively impact health. Design in the tropics aims to create thermally comfortable transition zones by employing front gardens, porches, or verandas. This establishes a thermal gradient, helping the body gradually acclimate to the temperature differences between the indoors and outdoors. Additionally, permeable outdoor paving supports natural water infiltration, preventing the overtaxing of sewage systems during the wet season.
Angela Stassano's work in tropical bioclimatic architecture exemplifies a profound understanding of local environmental challenges and opportunities. Her projects and her ongoing research reflect a commitment to context-sensitive design solutions that are accessible and replicable. Measurements carried out in the complex show that utilizing bioclimatic techniques for design can reduce the average electric consumption cost of a small home by at least 25% compared to a regular house in the area that relies on energy-intensive mechanical cooling.
By incorporating strategies like permeability, thermal transitions, ventilated chimneys, and elevated foundations, Stassano demonstrates that architecture in Northern Honduras can work with nature, not against it, to foster healthier, more resilient, and energy-efficient living environments. Her lessons in tropical bioclimatic design offer valuable insights not only for Honduras but also for similar climates across Central America and beyond.
