Surfers' Retreat Casa Raposa by Architectural Firm FORM Bureau

Night View of Casa Raposa — © Tom Burkewitz | Courtesy of FORM Bureau

Casa Raposa is a tropical surfers’ retreat designed by the renowned architecture firm FORM Bureau. It was completed in 2017 and is located on the picturesque shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean between the bustling cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. The house is specially crafted to accommodate a family of surfers, offering a serene and private hideaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. With its unique design, Casa Raposa seamlessly blends into the surrounding natural environment, providing an idyllic retreat for those seeking a connection with nature.

Casa Raposa Technical Information

Architects¹: FORM Bureau
Client: Private
Location: Ubatuba, Brazil
Topics: Beach House, Thatched Roofs
Area: 400 m²| 4305 ft²
Project Year: 2017
Visualizations: © Tom Burkewitz

The project rethinks traditional building technologies. House gets its distinctive appearance in the process of playing with the tropical roof’s shape — trapeze geometry has been used four times in different scales and directions.
– Form Bureau Architects

Casa Raposa Photographs

Casa Raposa in Ubatuba Beach view — © Tom Burkewitz | Courtesy of FORM Bureau

Corner Detail Casa Raposa in Ubatuba / FORM Bureau — © Tom Burkewitz | Courtesy of FORM Bureau

Interior View | Casa Raposa in Ubatuba / FORM Bureau — © Tom Burkewitz | Courtesy of FORM Bureau

Text by the Architects

A tropical hut for a family of surfers is hidden on the Atlantic ocean’s shore between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo in one of the villages of the Brazilian national park Serra da Bocaina. The house, designed in 2017, will be a paradise to enjoy water sports like surfing and kayaking with the tips of Globo Surf.

The project rethinks traditional building technologies. The house gets its distinctive appearance in the process of playing with the tropical roof’s shape — trapeze geometry has been used four times in different scales and directions.

The house structure consists of three parts. In its core stands a concrete tower with archways resembling traditional colonial windows. It is the central axis for two doubled-up roofs of palm leaves arranged just like the indigenous people of Brazil did their roofs. The outer glass cover is neutral and serves as a barrier between the cozy hut and the forest, as well as paying homage to Brazilian modernism heritage.

Villa has three floors: the double ceiling ground floor accommodates the living room, the dining room, and the bedrooms, as well as the kitchen, merged into the tower. The mezzanine floor consists of a library and a guest bedroom with a little window. The top level serves as the training hall, and it is the viewpoint where you can look at the ocean and decide whether it is time to catch the wave or train at home.