{"id":261767,"date":"2025-07-31T11:11:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=261767"},"modified":"2025-08-08T11:06:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T15:06:02","slug":"modular-bahia-by-una-barbara-e-valentim-brazil","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/modular-bahia-by-una-barbara-e-valentim-brazil\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience a Sustainable Modular Home With a Vintage Feel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A self-contained system features rainwater collection tanks for reuse and sewage treatment via a domestic biodigester, one of several sustainable benefits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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July 31, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Lisa Di Venuta<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Courtesy of Joana Fran\u00e7a<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Experience a Sustainable Modular Home With a Vintage Feel<\/h1>\n\n\n

Positioned between the Atlantic Ocean and the De Contas River on a peninsula in southern Brazil\u2019s Cocoa Coast, Modular Bahia emerges as naturally as its surrounding coconut trees and mangroves. Conceived by S\u00e3o Paulo\u2013based firm UNA Barbara e Valentim<\/a>, the dwelling is the first prototype built in the Modular BV system: a scalable construction method using industrialized, reforested wood. BV, which is pulled from the initials of cofounders Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, was developed in 2023 and realized in 2024, when the duo was tapped to design a multigenerational family retreat on a 10-acre plot with abundant private and communal spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince it\u2019s modular, the client can choose how to compose the program and total area,\u201d Barbara says. Valentim continues, \u201cThe house can have a larger or smaller living room, modules for a porch, studio, garage, and so on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNA Barbara e Valentim Taps Reforested Eucalyptus for a Modular Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The first of its kind in Brazil, Modular Bahia is composed of prefabricated reforested eucalyptus and spans 6,000-square-feet, nestled among mangroves and coconut trees on a 10-acre plot. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Working with local partners Crosslam Brasil and Abaet\u00e9, the team devised a 6,000-square-foot single-story compound composed of two private residences and a shared pavilion. Built on a shallow foundation and elevated by 4-foot stilts for drainage, the cross-laminated reforested eucalyptus timber modules were prefabricated off-site and assembled onsite in just three weeks. Wooden walkways and patios connected the units and created an effortless biophilic flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cModular Bahia is well-suited to handle the heavy rainfall typical of tropical countries like Brazil,\u201d Valentim says. Remarkably, the home stays cool without a single air conditioner. Solid eucalyptus walls offer thermal and acoustic insulation, and aluminum-framed panoramic windows on opposite facades have laminated glazing, which reducing solar gain. \u201cCross-ventilation ensures optimal airflow even when windows are closed,\u201d Barbara adds. Broad eaves filter daylight and extend views outward to the lush mangroves and ocean beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vintage Furnishings Evoke Calm Vibes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Each house includes six modules, each roughly 270-square-feet, such as the living room, where vintage sling chairs, rough-hewn benches, and white upholstered sofas evoke serene vibes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though the 16-foot-square modules are standardized, a mix of vintage and custom furnishings arranged throughout the home evokes a lived-in, layered sensibility. Rough-hewn timber furniture, including pieces made from site-salvaged eucalyptus, mingle with ceramic lighting and vases by Bahian artisans; elsewhere, lighting is custom by Ricardo Heder. Crucial for multigenerational gatherings, seating is diverse and plentiful: Seventies-era yellow sling chairs from S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s Novid\u00e1rio grace the living room; green slatted S-shaped stools, rattan armchairs, and more custom benches appear on the veranda, where orange and purple-striped hammocks drape between beams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The clients are quite pleased with their retreat, recall Barbara and Valentim. \u201cIt\u2019s much appreciated by grandparents who\u2019ve visited often,\u201d Barbara explains. The framework is being applied to more projects across Brazil, including hospitality ventures in Cear\u00e1 and a private airport lounge in Alagoas. For now, Modular Bahia represents more than a construction method; instead, it’s a call to rethink how we build in fragile, remote, and climate-sensitive environments. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about prefabrication,\u201d Barbara says. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating a sustainable, replicable model that adapts to place without erasing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable Meets Chic in UNA Barbara e Valentim\u2019s Modular Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"exterior
A self-contained system features rainwater collection tanks for reuse and sewage treatment via a domestic biodigester, one of several sustainable benefits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"dwellings
The private dwellings are linked by a shared pavilion befitted with hammocks and custom communal picnic tables for large family gatherings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"kitchen
Ceramic pendants, crafted by local artisans, add texture and diffuse light in the kitchen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"outdoor
Open frames and generous eaves soften the boundary between interior and exterior, as timber cladding blends seamlessly with the natural rhythm of the surrounding palms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n