Mar de Flores by Elástica Studio
Mar de Flores stands on a rising coastal slope in La Libertad Department, El Salvador, conceived by Elástica Studio as a compact multi unit housing enclave. Four slender homes climb toward the sea, stacking terraces, bedrooms, and rooftop decks to work with the sun, the breeze, and the view. Inside and out, the architecture leans on simple materials and clear volumes to keep attention on ocean light and everyday coastal life.
A narrow path threads through coastal vegetation as the land lifts toward the ocean, and pale towers rise above flowering tree canopies. Warm air moves between the volumes, carrying salt, birdsong, and the low crash of waves.
This multi unit housing project in La Libertad Department is planned by Elástica Studio as a cluster of four homes tuned to the shoreline and the tropical climate. Each unit leans into the steep terrain, using height rather than width so more ground stays open, more air passes between buildings, and more rooms look to the water. The story here is simple: compact towers, porous courtyards, and interiors arranged around shade, ventilation, and the daily path of the sun.
Towers On The Slope
The four dwellings rise as slender towers from a shared garden, their small footprints leaving generous ground between them for planting and circulation. From the ocean side, stacked balconies and terraces step down toward plunge pools and low retaining walls, so water, horizon, and architecture read in a single vertical section. Tall, narrow facades express stair runs as clean slots of glazing, turning vertical circulation into a quiet lantern after dusk and a frame for treetop views by day. Each tower stands distinct yet related, separated just enough for air and light to thread through.
Ventilation Through The Gaps
Porosity shapes how the ensemble meets the coast, with the gaps between buildings working as ventilation canyons that pull breeze from shore to street. The open ground level under many volumes forms shaded outdoor rooms, where timber decks, planted strips, and small paths invite movement across the site without hard boundaries. From these low courts, exterior stairs climb alongside the facades, visibly connecting sea-level terraces with upper bedrooms and rooftop decks. Shade from mature trees filters sun across the paths, softening hard edges and cooling the walk uphill.
Rooms Opening To Breeze
Interiors keep layouts clear so air and sightlines run straight from hillside entrance to ocean view, with large sliding glass walls dissolving the line between living room and terrace. Ceramic tile floors in a warm terracotta tone extend from covered outdoor lounges into kitchens and dining areas, creating an easy, barefoot continuity. In the bedrooms, polished concrete floors and exposed concrete ceilings temper heat, while broad windows and simple timber railings open to tree branches and water beyond. Ceiling fans, woven pendant lights, and low, unfussy furniture support a relaxed rhythm of indoor outdoor living without heavy decoration.
Material Calm By The Sea
Materials stay close to local vernacular cues, pairing ceramic tile, concrete furniture, and latticework panels with light-colored stucco and timber details. In the kitchens, green glazed tiles line the backsplash, catching afternoon light and adding depth against pale wood cabinetry and simple open shelving. Rattan pendants and woven lounge chairs repeat a tactile, coastal logic, their textures catching shadows as the sun shifts across deep overhangs. Throughout the project, this palette reads as direct and sincere, grounding everyday routines in a calm, durable setting beside the Pacific.
As evening settles, the towers glow between tree trunks, their terraces and stair edges lit just enough to mark paths and resting points. Residents move from water to garden to rooftop, following the slope and the breeze rather than a corridor. The architecture stays in the background, letting the changing sky and the sound of waves set the tempo of life at the edge.
Photography by Jason Bax
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