In Barra dos Remédios, on the western coast of Ceará, Casa Daia emerges within a
landscape shaped by environmental complexity and cultural continuity. Set on a former
farm of approximately 220 hectares, the property brings together mangroves, dunes,
riverbanks, caatinga vegetation, and coastal forest – overlapping ecosystems that guide the
way architecture approaches the site.
Project Name: Casa Daia
Studio Name: UNAbv
Location: Barra dos Remédios – Barroquinha, Ceará, Brazil
Completion: 2025
Site area: 220 hectares
Photography: Victor Collor
Opened in 2025, the boutique hotel was conceived around regenerative tourism, cultural
immersion, and a close relationship with the local community. Within this context, the
bungalows designed by UNA barbara e valentim explore how industrialized timber
construction can respond to a remote, environmentally sensitive, and logistically demanding setting while preserving spatial quality, construction precision, and a meaningful connection to the landscape.
The four bungalows, each measuring approximately 90 m², were positioned through a
careful reading of the terrain. Rather than imposing a new order onto the landscape, the
units occupy existing clearings, avoiding the removal of native vegetation and reducing
direct interference with the soil.
Shallow foundations and elevated decks help preserve the land’s natural permeability. The
placement of each volume also responds to solar orientation and prevailing winds,
promoting cross ventilation, thermal comfort, and reduced reliance on mechanical systems.
Wide verandas, generous overhangs, and protected openings create a gradual transition
between interior and exterior. Light, shade, wind, and vegetation become part of the spatial
experience, reinforcing an architecture shaped by the environmental conditions of the place.
Modular BV and timber construction
Casa Daia is the second built project to use the Modular BV system, developed by UNA
barbara e valentim in partnership with Crosslam, the Brazilian engineered timber
manufacturer, and assembled on site by Abaeté Construtora e Incorporadora.
The system is based on prefabricated modules made of reforested eucalyptus CLT,
produced in a controlled factory environment and dry-assembled on site. For projects
located in remote or environmentally sensitive areas, this approach increases predictability
in terms of time, cost, and environmental impact, while reducing waste and concentrating
complex construction stages outside the site.
More than a technical solution, Modular BV operates as a design tool. Industrialization does not limit architectural authorship; instead, it allows spatial, environmental, and material decisions to be executed with greater control. At Casa Daia, the system materializes an integrated response to the conditions of the site – balancing logistics, landscape, local culture, and construction performance.
The first project built with the system was Modular Bahia, a single-family residence on the
southern coast of Bahia, where an independent timber structure, CLT enclosures, and
bioclimatic strategies were applied in a residential context.
Landscape, community, and impact
The siting of the bungalows begins with the recognition of Barra dos Remédios as a singular environmental setting. Before construction began, an environmental zoning study was carried out to guide the occupation of the land, in alignment with principles of low impact, appreciation of local culture, and respect for the natural rhythm of the territory.
Casa Daia maintains an ongoing relationship with neighboring communities such as Pescada Nova and Praia Nova, prioritizing local labor and supporting social initiatives. The project also incorporates practices such as rainwater harvesting, photovoltaic energy, waste
management, agroforestry, and the reduction of By bringing together architecture, territory, and community, Casa Daia proposes a concrete alternative for contemporary hospitality: a model in which building also means listening to the place, preserving its layers, and creating new possibilities for permanence.
