Located between Ilhéus and Itacaré, on the coast of Bahia, Uruçuca is home to a new hotel destination with a respectful and intimate experience with nature; a complete solution of master planning, architecture, interior design, visual communication, and landscaping, conceived on a large plot facing the sea of Bahia.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2024
Third Award | Urban Design (Concept)
Project Name: Masterplan Uruçuca
Category: Urban Design (Concept)
Studio Name: ARCHITECTS OFFICE
Design Team: Greg Bousquet [associate], Sávio Jobim [architecture director], Carolina Passos, Daniela Bertuol, Filipe Meltzer, Thiago Buccieri, Larissa Oliveira
Area: Land: 27.771 sqm / Oceanic lot: 2.916 sqm / Continental lot: 1.813 sqm
Year: 2023 – 2025
Location: Serra Grande Uruçuca, Bahia, Brazil
Consultants: Caiubi Penteado, RBdev, Fluxus, Positiva Consultoria
Photography Credits:
Render Credits: Thiago Buccieri, Marcelo Checchia
Other Credits: Conduru Construções (client)
On two lots with distinct urban parameters – one close to the beach and the other in the continental area –, the project investigates how to establish a mixed-use tourist development that benefits leisure activities while preserving nature and the experience of the local community. With the help of consulting partners, the planned implementation incorporates ecological design, agroecology, and permaculture from the beginning stages of the project.
Developing a headquarters, bungalows, and a beach club with a restaurant and amenities – all permeable and integrated into a system of open and green areas –, the structures bring implementation to the pedestrian scale; architectures that embrace living where proportion, harmony, and materiality are composed to narrate contemporary well-being.
Thus, on the lot facing the sea, a linear reception was implemented, serving as an acoustic and visual barrier, while ensuring the privacy of the bungalow area in relation to the highway, providing a smooth transition consistent with the proposal of an immersive lodging experience in the nature of Uruçuca. The accommodations consist of 44 bungalows arranged in a village-like layout, positioned around a central axis. In this way, they emphasize the ocean view and gain freedom to assume four typologies. There are units of 30 sqm for up to four people, with a closet and ventilated bathroom; units of 60 sqm with a living area; units of 80 sqm with 1 suite and 1 bedroom, a support kitchen and suite, accommodating up to four people; and units of 100 sqm with 2 suites, a leisure terrace with a hot tub and gourmet area. The architectural structure brings a language of cohesion and unity, intertwined with the local nature.
The beach club integrates with the bungalow area through vegetated pathways and gardens, as well as natural pools. The structure of the beach club includes a lookout with a sea view, as well as a high-ceilinged hall, with an exclusive regional restaurant planned alongside supporting infrastructure.
As part of its identity, the architecture and interior design project sought to revive traditional elements of Bahia, particularly of Uruçuca, such as the use of wood and bamboo as raw materials. The reception’s coverings, floors made of ceramic shards and coconut shells, evoke a sense of welcome and the preservation of local memory. Meanwhile, the walls are made of stones overlaid on an engineered wooden structure. In the bungalows, woven taipa walls stand out, while the beach club features a bamboo roof in a scissor shape, creating a very welcoming and typical environment of regional architecture.
Both the design of the complex and the strategies for waste treatment and electricity generation aim to reduce environmental impact and provide greater self-sufficiency, resulting in a sustainable, welcoming conception in harmony with the regional culture.
