Let's Design Enduring Places to Sustain Enduring Cultures
Partnering with visionary developers to create places where:
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Cars are welcome...as guests.
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Nature is a noble neighbor.
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A rich public realm is formed by lovable buildings.
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Complex puzzles of code and context are resolved into practical realities.
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Joy is taken seriously.
Sara Bega works to prove that when we design for the human stride rather than highway speed, something magical happens.
As the former Town Architect of Las Catalinas, a celebrated car-free hilltown on Costa Rica’s Guanacaste coast, she led the architectural and urban design efforts that turned a visionary concept into a thriving, walkable reality. Her work there on fabric buildings, vibrant public spaces, and micro-phased neighborhood plans earned prestigious nods, including a CNU Charter Award and multiple Urban Guild Design Excellence Awards.
Translating these lessons into the broader design community, she serves on the Board of the Urban Guild, championing a collective pursuit of beautiful, resilient architecture and urbanism. She trains the next generation of practitioners both as an Adjunct Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture and as studio faculty for the Citymakers Summer Studio, teaching the craft of the contextual design process.
Bega is fundamentally allergic to functional zoning, thinks best with a pen in her hand, and works best with curious, kind people who give her challenging puzzles to solve.
How We Partner
1
DEFINE THE VISION
For Projects Starting from Scratch
We start with the human experience, asking the questions that build true community: Where will kids feel safe to explore? Where will neighbors naturally cross paths? How should the building bridge the public and private realm? Through intensive charrettes, fit tests, and spatial storytelling, we translate those emotional aspirations into a clear, overarching concept.
2
EXECUTE THE VISION
For Active Projects Resolving Constraints
Next, we pivot to the practicalities of implementation, asking the questions: How does the street handle the slope? What phasing allows for each section to feel complete? What building types unlock the most flexibility?
We map out realistic development scenarios that decode complex code and context puzzles into buildable reality.
3
PROTECT THE VISION
For Mature Projects Securing a Legacy
Finally, we ask questions to secure the legacy: How do we ensure this neighborhood remains beautiful in two hundred years? What factors are most crucial to maintain harmony? How can we evolve incrementally?
We calibrate the appropriate combination of design guidelines, regulating plans, and architectural review frameworks to guard the value of the vision over time.
