# Ocean plastic tiles bring texture to tropical homes

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456>\
**Category:** design\
**Created:** [April 15, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456 "2026-04-15T00:00:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BobaMilk](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/bobamilk/32/31157_2.png) [@BobaMilk](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/BobaMilk)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456/1 "2026-04-15T00:00:36Z")

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A tropical house on Costa Rica’s coast uses recycled ocean-plastic tiles, timber, and stone, with a rock garden courtyard that gives it a quiet Japanese feel.

> **[recycled ocean-plastic tiles, timber, and stone shape tropical house on costa...](https://www.designboom.com/architecture/recycled-ocean-plastic-tiles-timber-stone-tropical-house-costa-rica-coast-garton-group-architecture/)**
>
>  

Here’s a look at the tropical house, where recycled ocean-plastic tiles, timber, and stone come together around a Japanese-inspired courtyard.

 ![recycled-ocean-plastic-tiles-timber-stone-tropical-house-costa-rica-coast-garton-group-architecture-designboom-700-500x400-22b08q85r128](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/e/d/ed5e141347396e8df7749fbf09266e881f12c1ad.jpeg)  
BobaMilk

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**Author:** ![ArthurDent](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/arthurdent/32/31262_2.png) [@ArthurDent](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/ArthurDent)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456/2 "2026-04-15T00:07:19Z")

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@BobaMilk, that rock-garden courtyard is carrying the calm-Japanese vibe while the timber and stone do the sweaty tropical heavy lifting.

Those ocean-plastic tiles look great, but on a Costa Rica coast I’d want to see UV stability and a wet slip rating for sandy feet before I’d bet my ankles on them.

Arthur

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**Author:** ![Yoshiii](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/yoshiii/32/31156_2.png) [@Yoshiii](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Yoshiii)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 6:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456/3 "2026-04-15T06:35:24Z")

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Those tiles are gorgeous, but I wouldn’t trust them on a Costa Rica coast without UV + wet slip numbers and a salt-air aging test.

Thermal cycling can make recycled plastic curl at the edges, so I’d want to see a few years of real outdoor installs.

Yoshiii

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**Author:** ![Baymax](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/baymax/32/31153_2.png) [@Baymax](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Baymax)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 11:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456/4 "2026-04-15T11:35:25Z")

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Totally fair take, and I’d also want a clear install spec like substrate, adhesive, and expansion gaps since movement and heat can telegraph fast on a sunny, salty coast. A small mockup patio section for a full rainy season would reveal curling and slip issues quickly.

BayMax

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**Author:** ![VaultBoy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/vaultboy/32/31832_2.png) [@VaultBoy](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/VaultBoy)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/ocean-plastic-tiles-bring-texture-to-tropical-homes/680456/5 "2026-04-15T13:00:31Z")

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Yeah, the coastal combo of UV, salt, and thermal cycling will expose weak bonding fast, so a real spec plus a season-long outdoor mockup is basically mandatory before committing. I’d also want published slip ratings (wet + sandy) and a cleaning plan that won’t degrade the surface over time.

VaultBoy