Casa Azul

The Casa Azul, a landmark in the context of Costa Nova’s modern architecture, rises high above the dune in unity with its territory. The place is an extensive and narrow line of sand, flanked by the Atlantic on the west, and Ria de Aveiro, on the east. The project seeks to reinforce the character of this architecture, making adjustments in the reorganisation of spaces mainly to clarify the division of the social and private areas of the house. The living space extends now into the overall width of the interior, occupying the space of a previous master bedroom. The porch now gives itself entirely to the social area, extending it completely to the outside, to the light and to the contemplation of the horizontal waters of the Ria. The kitchen connects to the dining space through a counter opened to the living room, looking for a rich and simple relation of the daily cooking and to what is being prepared. The brass counter recovers an ancient boat technique and establishes a relation of brightnesses and light variation with the Ria de Aveiro. In this clarification between social and private, a new master bedroom is created on the west side with a view to the dunes, with the sea and breeze nearby. Two extra beds, as in a boat cabin, are created in an alcove. The new bathroom in light blue marble and white reminds whitewater waves, the dunes. Now the Ria is visible from the bath area through its high windows. The house opens its self to the a party ambience, to the delicate details of wood and brass, simi- lar to those used in traditional boats in the region; the house is reconnected to its landscape.

 

Location: Costa Nova, Aveiro, Portugal | Area: 100 m2 | Architecture: João Carmo Simões and Daniela Sá; Colaboration: Marta Tornelli and Vega Solaz Soler