Casa Rea by Sandro Uzila
Casa Rea sits in Circoti, Croatia, a quiet Istrian village where olive groves reach the road and the hill of Motovun anchors the horizon. Designed by Sandro Uzila, this 2024 house traces a low profile and favors honest, local materials over flourish. The project reads as a retreat and a family base, built for long views, still water, and a plan that keeps attention on the landscape.
Sun brushes the Grožnjan stone while the pool holds a band of sky. A low profile meets the olive trees, and broad glass pulls the grove into the rooms.
This is a house in Circoti, Croatia, designed by Sandro Uzila with a clear intent: let the landscape lead and keep the architecture quiet. The plan measures 150 m² (1,615 sq ft) and folds a terrace, pool, and sauna into a restrained composition tuned to daily use and long views.
Settle Into Site
From the road, the massing stays low and almost unseen. Approach reveals stone with a dark yellow cast, a tone specific to the region that sits easily against the olive trunks. The entry sequence compresses, then opens toward Motovun, so the first long view feels earned and quiet.
Frame The Olive Grove
Large sliding glass walls dissolve edges and anchor daily rituals to light and weather. At sunrise, the bedroom faces the hill; at dusk, the pool catches a last wash of color and turns it into a calm surface. Circulation stays simple, keeping sightlines clear and the grove ever-present.
Work With Local Matter
Grožnjan stone carries the exterior and portions of the interior, giving weight and a regional grain under hand. Micro-cement floors run in a single tone, joined by warm wood and black-metal details that register as crisp lines rather than noise. The palette reads consistent and durable (no material shouts), so shifts happen with light rather than color.
Live Lightly, Stay Long
The house functions as a measured retreat—holiday-leaning but ready for routine. A terrace steps out to the pool, and a compact sauna tucks into the plan for cool evenings after swim or sun. Furniture and lighting are tailored to the rooms, from hornbeam-stump tables to a bespoke dining table that centers meals without stealing the view.
Hold To Restraint
Choices reduce rather than multiply, which keeps attention on breeze, shadow, and the slow turn of the day. Boundaries blur, but structure and finish stay legible, so the house reads calm even when full of family. By dusk, glass goes dark and stone glows faintly; the grove does the rest.
Photography by Koridor27
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