Condomínio Baleia is a fabulous dwelling project completed in 2011 by Studio Arthur Casas, located on the Praia da Baleia in São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil. This wonderful home is part of a condominium of 43,056 square feet (4000 square meters), divided into four narrow lots, with average width of 161 square feet (15 meters). The best solution to take advantage of the room and the view of the sea was to create four equal houses, two decks and arranged misaligned, so as to enable the privacy of every one of them. The architecture is timeless and has an interesting volumetry, where open and closed spaces integrate forming swings and reentering angles. Thinking about the durability and practicality for summer houses, the facades were covered with brown ceramic filleted. Next to detail and wood, the result was a rustic touch to the modern design of the houses.

There was a great concern to integrate the buildings with the exuberant nature of the terrain, and the deployment has preserved as much as possible of native vegetation. In addition to the certified coating materials such as wood, stone and ceramics, green roofs have been used and cross-ventilation, eliminating the need of using air conditioning, even in warmer weather.

This balcony with high ceilings and cantilevered coverage is practically an extension of the beach.

In addition to bringing green into the environments, the inner courtyard has the function to distribute ventilation and natural lighting for indoor environments.

The strong point is the integration of spaces with the exterior, which was made possible through the huge sliding doors, which allow full opening of the room for an internal garden and recreation area, bringing into the house the beautiful sea views.

The interior design was also signed by the Studio Arthur Casas, and follows minimalist lines and timeless architecture.

This corridor connects environments of the second floor and is bounded by open wooden shutters which leave circular ventilation around the house.

Photos: Leonardo Finotti