The architecture is a language in itself. One that is written with materials, textures, measurements and structures and that evolves along with those who inhabit its creations. But just as there are different languages, there are different design languages. Because it’s not the same make a project for a populous city than for a beach neighborhood, or that of a house for the whole year than for a vacation and weekend. In these last cases, the language that is displayed is very different, it has its own codes and twists. Next, a look at the language of the most innovative beach constructions and interesting of the season.
on a large scale
Perhaps one of the most resonant projects in Uruguay these days is Las Cárcavas. Located on the coast of Rocha, it proposes a real estate development of 24 sustainable farms which required an investment of US$ 19 million. In the privacy of a natural ecosystem recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, half of the 50 hectares that make up the project will be preserved.
In the other half, the architecture of the Brazilian Isay Weinfeld stands out, in what is described as “tropical modernism with a marked tendency towards minimalism”. What does this imply? Facilities with amenities such as a beach club and a solarium facing the sea, a natural grass tennis court that coexists with native flora, a fire pit in the forest, a grill house with a grill, a heliport and a soccer field. At the same time, 16 bungalows of 216 m2 each will be built, in which the environment and nature will be prioritized. “The residences will follow pre-established architectural guidelines to preserve the essence of Las Cárcavas,” they point out from the venture.
The philosophy is completed with a commitment to sustainable development, another of the legs of current conscious enjoyment: complementary use of alternative energies, water treatment, landscaping and organic gardening, and waste classification and recycling.
natural luxury
Following this line, Peaceful Architecture is a study that has carried out multiple works in Punta del Este and that counts the sea and nature among its main protagonists. Founded in 2010 by the brothers Ezequiel and Félix Gil, one an architect and the other an engineer, it owes its name to the love that Ezequiel always had for the constructions of the maritime cities of the ocean of the same name.
“The essence of our study has to do with work thinking about the environment, be very aware of the materials with which we project and give aesthetics to our projects. For years we have been immersed in the architecture of Punta del Este and in beach and sea areas and we are passionate about nature, trees, the beach, sand and water, and we try to transmit that in our projects and go setting trends”, details Alexis Plaghos, partner. Because again, that is what the new luxury is all about, contemplating the surroundings and enjoying a peaceful and friendly architecture, which transmits peace and warmth and helps to enjoy free time in a house that is shelter and containment.
Thus was born, for example, the pine beach project, which installs a novel concept from the beginning: it places the most public and busy area on the top floor, in order to provide the best views of the water (even designed in the shape of a bow), while the bedrooms remain on the ground floor, more private. The materials chosen are extremely beachy, with vertical slatted wood, thatched roofs, stone on the outside and some iron details.
In this sense, the chosen textures should be as noble as possible. “For example, we use a lot of lapacho, which is super hard. We have the idiosyncrasy that wood should not be spotless, you have to see the knots and the action of nature, the natural aging of the sun. There are also other woods widely used as exterior coverings, Scandinavian and Nordic that come with a pressing and chemical treatment that preserves all its qualities without the need for subsequent care”, illustrates Iván Jijena Sánchez, the studio’s engineer. As the motto of the founding partner says, “let nature win over architecture”.
First line to the sea
Based in both Argentina and Uruguay, the Martin Gomez studio He has been building architecture “committed to the landscape and people’s lives” for more than 30 years. Among other precepts, his projects are governed by dialogue with nature, balance in order, light, the nobility of materials and life in the open air. “For us the development of intermediate spaces is essential; galleries, decks and transition sectors that articulate interior and exterior are a common thread in our works ”, he details.
This is well reflected, for example, in the big fish projectlocated in Jose Ignacio. In an area close to the dunes, the floor plan of the house was raised on pillars to save the views of the sea, while a space for garages and services was left below, invaded by wild local vegetation. The volume of the building was thought of as a pure form, in which there is room for a large interior patio that generates a circular path alternating bedrooms and semi-private patios. “The inhabitants of the house can be seen in the circulatory space even when they are on opposite sides of the house,” they detail from the study.
Another project that deserves attention is The Petanque, located in the area of La Juanita, between the forests and the beach that continues towards José Ignacio (it is said, in fact, that it is its natural continuation). Here the development was a commercial residential development made up of beach houses that form a neighborhood, linked by interior streets to the common spaces, the tennis and pétanque (bocce) courts, from which it takes its name. “Arranged two by two, each house carefully guards its privacy with high stone dividing walls pierced with open vertical strips that ensure privacy without losing views of the sea,” they describe. They also play with the sun from the V-shaped roofs that expand towards the front, where wide rectangular strips open up that let the rays through and generate spectacular scenes of light and shadow on the terraces. “Stone and wood are the materials that make up the facades together with the iron structure, resulting in an elegant combination that respects the surrounding landscape,” the team summarizes.
Working with the landscape, letting yourself be inspired by the nobility of the materials, understanding the native characteristics of each site and extolling them through design, as well as putting the enjoyment of social life at the center of the scene: vital features of the architecture of beach and, why not, an x-ray of where the pleasure of vacations and leisure go today.
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