Modular Bahia: a Brazilian retreat between river and sea designed by Una Barbara e Valentim

On the northern coast of Bahia, where the peninsula opens onto two horizons, the ocean and the river, stands Modular Bahia: a tropical retreat that breathes the essence of its location and blends seamlessly with the climate, light and vegetation. Designed by Brazilian studio Una Barbara e Valentim, the project proposes a modular timber architecture that combines industrialisation, contemporary design and a deep respect for the territory.

Three independent volumes, connected by open patios and walkways, allow the house to host different family groups with varying degrees of privacy. The route flows between interiors bathed in wood and glass and exteriors that alternate shade and sun, seclusion and openness. Views unfold like scenes in a film: now the sea, now the river, now the forest. Wide timber platforms extend the interior floors of all spaces towards porches, open terraces and pathways that link the different modules of the house, dissolving the boundaries between dwelling and landscape.

At the heart of the project is the Modular BV system, developed by the studio in collaboration with Crosslam Brasil and construction company Abaeté. An independent timber structure and CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) panels allow for clean, fast and precise construction, with a drastic reduction in waste and minimal environmental impact. Reforested wood, modular components, cross ventilation, generous eaves, water harvesting and passive energy generation define a comprehensive bioclimatic strategy. Even the pitched roof is designed to let hot air escape, ensuring comfort without resorting to air conditioning.

The entire process, from design to construction, was developed in a BIM environment, coordinating architectural solutions and suppliers with millimetric precision. The incorporation of local labour not only optimised the construction but also transferred knowledge and valued traditional skills.

For Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, who founded the studio in 1996, Modular Bahia is the result of years of research into cross-laminated timber and a natural step towards a contemporary, sustainable housing model adaptable to any location in Brazil. “We wanted the system to guarantee a continuous assembly process, from project to construction, without losing architectural quality,” explains Barbara.

More than a house, Modular Bahia is a manifesto: an architectural gesture that unites industrial precision with the poetry of inhabiting a tropical landscape, responding with beauty and responsibility to the climatic and constructive challenges of our time.

Project: Modular Bahia.
Location: Bahia, Brasil.
Architecture and Interior Design: Una Barbara e Valentim.
Completion: 2024.
Collaborators: Breno Sá, Elena Geser, Giulia Giagio, Ícaro Cordaro, Igor Helian, Pedro Ribeiro, Rodrigo Carvalho, Tamar Firer, Victória Liz Cohen, Yasmin Dejean.
Structure: Crosslam Brasil – Estruturas de Madeira Engenheirada.
Construction: Abaeté Construtora.
Lighting design: Ricardo Heder.
Furniture: Novidário.
Photography: Joana França.
Source: Una Barbara e Valentim.

Una Barbara e Valentim

Founded by Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, the studio Una Barbara e Valentim unfolds an architecture deeply connected to place, conceived in São Paulo and extended with sensitivity across Brazil. Since 1996, Fernanda and Fabio have shared a professional journey that began with Una Arquitetos, shaping an architectural poetics committed to both collective and individual life through the built environment. In 2019, they consolidated this vision under their current name, UNA Barbara e Valentim.

São Paulo, one of the largest metropolises in the world, is not only their physical base but also the reflective heart of their work. From here, they have addressed diverse typologies: private residences, public facilities, and ephemeral spaces for art and exhibitions.

Their architecture is defined by a pursuit of harmony between form, function, and environment. Projects such as Casa Japi, with rammed earth walls and green roofs that enhance natural ventilation and strengthen the bond with the surrounding landscape, or the Pituba Reserve Beach Club, where discreet horizontality finds an immediate dialogue with the sea through shaded terraces and lightweight volumes, stand as tangible examples of this delicate integration. Read full biography.

Project by Una Barbara e Valentim