UXUA’s design recalls Trancoso’s 500-years of history; Portuguese adventurers, Jesuit missionaries, Indian tribes, African slaves, and even Brazilian hippies have influenced in some way the architecture, art, and antiques that make each casa a unique expression.
The casas range from authentically restored fisherman houses facing the town’s 16th century Quadrado, to a sleekly opulent but ecologically-conscious treehouse and other homes hidden in a lush garden. Featured in design magazines worldwide, the innovative aesthetic has been labeled rustic modernism, a simple tropical fusion of indoor / outdoor space capturing the appeal of the southern Bahian lifestyle.
UXUA was created by designer Wilbert Das in collaboration with local artisans using traditional building methods, reclaimed and organic materials, and Brazilian antiques and art. Winning UXUA abundant recognition, the ecological approach required over 2-years to complete and resulted in such details as:
- Sinks, baths, and showers carved from fallen treetrunks found on the UXUA property
- Roof-tiles, floorboards, and doors recovered from old farmhouses of the area
- Light fixtures created with local Pataxó Indians using decorative beads and seeds
- Bathroom fixtures and doorhandles created from waste-iron sourced in Bahia
- Shower-heads carved from trunks of eucalyptus wood abundant in the area
- Sofas upholstered with canvas from the backs of old transport trucks
- Kitchen utensils carved by Bahian cowboys from coconut shells
- Televisions created by inserting led-screens into antique travel trunks
- The beach lounge of UXUA was built from old fishing boats found grounded there
- Clay taken from the ground while digging UXUA’s swimming pool was used to build walls of several casas using a traditional technique called ‘pau a pique’
