Casa Daia Bungalows Northeast Brazil houses, Ceará commercial development architecture images

Casa Daia Bungalows in Ceará, Brazil

13 March 2026

Architecture: UNA barbara e valentim

Location: Barra dos Remédios, Barroquinha, Ceará, Brazil

Photos: Victor Collor

Casa Daia Bungalows in Ceará – Brazil Homes

Embedded in a remote and environmentally sensitive site in Barra dos Remédios, on the western coast of Ceará, Casa Daia opened in 2025 with the purpose of promoting regenerative tourism, cultural immersion, and a meaningful relationship with the territory and its local community. The project stands as a relevant case study for the application of industrialized timber construction within the field of hospitality.

Set on a former farm of approximately 220 hectares, the boutique hotel coexists with diverse ecosystems — mangroves, dunes, riverbanks, caatinga vegetation and coastal forest — forming a complex overlap of landscapes.

Within this context, the modular timber architecture developed by UNA barbara e valentim investigates strategies capable of responding to geographic remoteness, logistical complexity, territorial fragility and the demand for construction precision, while enhancing the spatial, environmental and material quality of the ensemble.

The architecture
The four bungalows, each approximately 90 m², constitute a low-impact intervention within the territory. The modular units were carefully positioned in existing clearings, avoiding the removal of native vegetation. The adoption of shallow foundations and elevated decks minimizes direct interference with the soil and preserves the land’s natural permeability.

Studies of solar orientation and prevailing winds guided the placement of the volumes, ensuring cross ventilation and thermal comfort without reliance on mechanical systems. Verandas, generous overhangs, and large protected openings establish a continuous relationship between interior and landscape, allowing climate and natural light to become structuring elements of the spatial experience.

Modular BV: the construction system
The bungalows were built using the Modular BV system, developed by UNA barbara e valentim in partnership with the Brazilian engineered timber manufacturer Crosslam and assembled on site by the contractor Abaeté Construtora e Incorporadora. The system is based on prefabricated modules in reforested eucalyptus CLT, produced in a controlled factory environment and dry-assembled on site.

A project such as Casa Daia reaffirms the relevance of this system for developments located in remote or environmentally sensitive areas, where predictability in costs, timelines and environmental impact becomes decisive. Compared to traditional high-end construction methods, modular timber assembly reduces waste, increases process control and significantly shortens implementation time.

By associating architectural authorship with industrial precision, the system challenges the notion that prefabrication inherently limits design quality. On the contrary, it proposes a model in which technology supports architectural intention rather than replacing it. At Casa Daia, modular timber construction establishes itself as an effective tool for contemporary architecture — an integrated response to the environmental, logistical and cultural conditions of the site.

Casa Daia is the second built example using the Modular BV system. The first was Modular Bahia, a single-family residence on the southern coast of Bahia, where the system was applied in a residential context, combining an independent timber structure, CLT enclosures and bioclimatic strategies focused on cross ventilation, shading and integration with the landscape.

Impact on landscape and community
The siting of the bungalows at Casa Daia stems from the recognition of the environmental singularity of
Barra dos Remédios, where a rare coexistence persists between multiple ecosystems and traditional
ways of life within a landscape that has withstood the passage of time.

For this reason, even before any construction began, an extensive environmental zoning study was carried out, in alignment with the principles of regenerative tourism: minimal impact, integration with the landscape, appreciation of local culture, and respect for the time of the land.

Architecture becomes a response to these conditions — conceived as a precise insertion that avoids vegetation removal and reduces soil interference.

The project maintains an ongoing dialogue with neighboring communities such as Pescada Nova and Praia Nova, prioritizing local labor, supporting social initiatives, and adopting low-impact practices including rainwater harvesting, photovoltaic energy, waste management, agroforestry, and the reduction of disposable plastics.

In a context marked by profound environmental and social transformations, Casa Daia positions itself as a sensitive and tangible alternative for contemporary tourism — one in which architecture, landscape, and community are articulated in a relationship of continuity.

Casa Daia Bungalows in Northeast Brazil – Property Information

Architectural Firm: UNA barbara e valentim – https://unabv.com.br/

Location: Barra dos Remédios – Barroquinha, Ceará, Brazil
Project: completion 2025
Architecture: UNA barbara e valentim
Authors Fernanda Barbara, Fabio Valentim
Team Breno Sá Leitão, Rodrigo Carvalho, Camila Ungaro, Luís Cunha, Mariana Nunes
Engineered timber supplier Crosslam
Construction Abaeté Construtora e Incorporadora
Interior design MNMA Studio
Built area – bungalows 4 bungalows of 90 m² each – 360 m² total
Site area 220 hectares