Since the beginning, we at Capitan Suizo, have made the decision to create homemade furniture on our property using the most traditional and local techniques of Costa Rican artisans. We have been doing this for more than 20 years and are still doing it to this day, even when the cost of maintenance is high due to our location being directly on the beach and when nowadays, it is very common to buy nice and inexpensive imported furniture.
Why have we decided to use local wood and make our own furniture on site in a small space in front of the hotel? Because we love wood as a natural material and also because this process and material has many other benefits for us:
Wood is the most ecological material ever, because it is part of nature and the impact of its responsible use on the environment is very low. Responsibly sourced wood is the only renewable building material available. It produces only biodegradable residues, is totally reusable, very durable and versatile.
The use of wood in Costa Rica promotes the local development of rural areas, where the wood is grown. By using locally grown wood we also help to reduce the impact caused by the transportation of imported wood or furniture. We use mainly Cedar and Teak from local plantations.
Wooden products store carbon dioxide (CO2) and by using wood as a material we help to reduce tons of CO2 being released into the atmosphere because the wood stores the CO2 it captures in its biomass (wood) during the trees growth. When a tree falls and decomposes it then releases all the CO2 back into the environment, but when the biomass is used as furniture, the CO2 can be preserved and captured for around 75 years! The use of wood instead of other materials, reduces the emission of 2 tons of CO2 into the environment for every m3 of wood!
The production and processing of wood uses much less energy and water than most other building materials.
Jobs generation: In Capitán Suizo we have employed two full-time carpenters to make furniture for the hotel and, once a year, we hire around ten local cabinetmakers to help with the furniture restoration for all of the furniture in our hotel.
In Costa Rica, after the decline of cattle raising as an economic activity, most of the empty lands were used for reforestation and commercial wood plantations. Costa Rica is the only country in America that managed to reverse deforestation and has a Country Goal to reach the Neutral Carbon Footprint by 2021.
Wood is good for health and wellbeing. Exposure to wooden furniture and fittings has real and measurable health and wellbeing benefits. It helps lower heart rate and stress responses and encourages greater interaction between people.
It is due to all these reasons, that in Capitán Suizo, each piece of furniture is made with love by the hands of our staff with your comfort in mind and to be in harmony with our environment.