AQUEOUS
Aqueous by Renato D’Ettorre Architects
Aqueous is designed as a five bedroom villa a place to take refuge and to relax and enjoy the weather; to re-connect with the natural world and enjoy the pleasures of the senses.
The design responds to three key elements of the location: light, air and water. It’s primarily concerned with the ambiguity between inside and outside, public and private assisted by the climate. To facilitate outdoor living, the design provides cool shaded, well ventilated spaces with cooling relief from the intense sun.
It is strictly modern in design, adopting a pavilion form with stackable sliding glass doors. Wrapping around the pavilion is an expansive pool, creating a dramatic design element; it is vital for introducing water’s cooling and visual delight to the interior.
Bold in size and elevation, the pool wraps around two sides of the pavilion enabling one to swim both at the edge of the pool overlooking landscaped gardens and the sea beyond and close to the living spaces, creating a strong zone between water and interior spaces.
The large body of water also provides environmental benefits by reducing radiant heat allowing breezes to pass over water before entering the internal spaces bringing cool respite. Water is an invigorating element contributing to an overall sense of well being.
The design challenge was to ensure that the incredible view of the surrounding landscape could also flow inside the house by way of clear roof spans allowing uninterrupted wall opening, while at the same time designing private spaces that will convey a feeling of pleasant serenity;
in particular the generous sized patio shaded by a steel mesh and a wonderfully bold coloured bougainvillaea creating an ideal place to relax whilst having all the necessary amenities to live, eat and rest in a space imbued with a sense of beauty.
The house incorporates projecting roofs’ creating gentle transitions between the relentless sun and the soothing interior. Walls and shading devices are easily opened and adjusted to optimise air flow and moderate sunlight to create a comfortable environment using passive ventilation and reducing the need for air-conditioning or artificial lighting.
A reinterpretation of traditional architecture, with orthogonal shapes, geometric long staircases and sea coloured pool. It’s a white horizontal structure with a dramatic elongated roof terrace. The pavilion theatre steps leading to an ultra flat roof terrace for sunbathing and admiring the incredible views.
On the lower level directly under the swimming pool are four Guest Bedrooms each with ensuite, with framed views thanks to deep terraces providing shade from the southern sun. Also a generously proportioned winter living area shaded throughout the day which can also be open to the elements and is ideal for escaping the heat whilst being closer to the vegetation.
The courtyards reflect a Mediterranean feel, reinforced by using plants native to the area such as possibly transplanting an old olive tree as a focal point and in the central courtyard a scented orange grove surround by high white thick walls.
Materials have been chosen to withstand the intense sun. Aqueous can be configured to numerous coastal plots in various scales with further entertainment areas and bedrooms from the current 505m2.
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