DAY 7 — A HOUSE THAT FITS THE TERRITORY

Regina understood what worked in Maraú — materials, suppliers, construction methods suited to humid coastal Bahia.

From the beginning, the house needed to fit the land.

Zoning required 60% permeable ground. Beyond regulation, we wanted to preserve native vegetation. The region is part of an estuary ecosystem — fragile and pressured.

Building a sustainable coastal house was not aesthetic. It was technical. Drainage, airflow, soil behavior, rainfall patterns.

Within budget and zoning constraints, we reduced:

• Four suites to three;

• A smaller studio;

• Outdoor support replacing interior expansion;

• A reduced garden;

• Goodbye bathroom double sink.

Nine months of adjustments led to a house that functioned — not idealized, but viable.

Living in Algodões changed everything. Visiting is one thing. Living 365 days a year is another.

Many homes in the region work beautifully for short-term stays, but not for permanence.

By the time territory, program, and budget aligned, we understood something else.

Land was only half the equation.

Bureaucracy was just beginning.