Modern open kitchen design in Blu Mare project featuring a circular terracotta structure, stainless steel counter, and wooden bar stools.

Blu Mare Project: Redefining the Relationship Between Nature and Interior Architectural Space

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Drawing Inspiration from Nature

Some contemporary architectural projects reflect a growing trend toward drawing inspiration from natural elements. For instance, a space can be designed to respond to the interaction between elements such as water and sand, creating a visual and sensory experience balanced between softness and dryness, or between dynamism and stability.

Dialogue Between Natural Elements

The concept of a “dialogue between water and sand” exemplifies how designers can harness nature to create integrated environments. This approach allows for an exploration of the relationship between wet and dry, where the contrast between these two elements generates a sense of balance and harmony within the architectural space, enhancing the sensory experience for visitors or users.

Balancing Vision and Function

This approach illustrates that architectural design is not limited to aesthetics alone but also involves studying natural interactions to produce a harmonious and resilient environment. By integrating natural elements into the design concept, it is possible to achieve a synergy between form and function, reflecting a profound architectural concern for the user experience.

Textured interior wall with horizontal sand-like layers and a strip of blue glass bricks above wooden dining tables.
A visual dialogue between sand-textured walls and turquoise glass bricks, mimicking the coastal environment. (Image © Oculis Project)

Drawing Color Inspiration from the Natural Environment

Some architectural designs rely on drawing color inspiration from the surrounding environment, creating a direct connection between the space and its natural context. Turquoise, for example, can evoke a sense of the sea and vitality, imparting a refreshing and harmonious character to the space.

Integrating Materials and Colors

This effect can be further enhanced through careful material selection, such as using transparent or semi-transparent glass to mimic the movement of light and water, combined with color tones inspired by local sand or soil. This combination achieves a balance between natural and architectural elements, providing visitors with a fully integrated sensory experience.

Creating a Cohesive Atmosphere

By manipulating colors and materials, designers can create an atmosphere that merges natural beauty with architectural precision. This approach not only adds aesthetic value but also enhances the harmony between the space and its function, maintaining a clear connection to the surrounding environment.

3D isometric architectural floor plan (Axonometric) of the Blu Mare project showing the layout and furniture.
An axonometric view revealing the comprehensive design thinking and spatial organization of Blu Mare. (Image © Oculis Project)

Architectural Scale and Form

Large volumes and bold forms play a pivotal role in defining the character of interior spaces. Open and expansive areas give dining zones a strong presence and visual impact, enhancing the user experience while imparting a sense of spaciousness and dynamism.

Material Diversity and Sensory Impact

The use of a diverse range of materials enriches the visitor’s sensory experience. These materials can include glass, plaster, wood, leather, and more, with each type contributing to a balance of texture, color, and light. This variety provides a sense of visual and tactile richness, reflecting the designers’ attention to the fine details of the interior environment.

Enhancing Visual Harmony

By carefully combining large volumes with diverse materials, a visually cohesive and integrated space can be achieved. This approach balances modernity with natural beauty, focusing on the user experience rather than merely aesthetic form.

Close-up of a deep terracotta-colored architectural column with a glossy tile detail and a blurred person walking by.
Precision in material selection: the interplay between matte plaster and glossy tiles. (Image © Oculis Project)

Innovative Use of Walls

Curved walls represent a turning point in interior space design, breaking the conventional routine of straight walls and adding a sense of movement and dynamism. This approach creates a visual flow that guides attention while giving the space a contemporary and refreshed character.

Harmony Between Materials and Colors

Applying different types of plaster on the front, back, and side walls, while maintaining a unified color, produces a consistent visual effect resembling a continuous semicircle. This combination of material and form enhances visual harmony and creates a sense of connection between different elements of the space.

Enhancing the Sensory Experience

By combining curves with uniformly colored materials, designers can achieve a fully integrated sensory experience, where aesthetic design meets architectural fluidity, making movement within the space smoother and more seamless.

Curved interior wall with layered plaster finish and blue glass bricks behind a leather booth seating.
Innovative curved walls break traditional routines, creating a smooth flow and a contemporary atmosphere. (Image © Oculis Project)
Wide shot of a curved terracotta archway over a kitchen counter with sunlight casting shadows on the floor.
Architectural arches and natural light play a pivotal role in defining the character of the internal space. (Image © Oculis Project)

Functional Space Design

Central areas in interior design play a crucial role in organizing movement and shaping visitor interaction with the environment. For instance, an open kitchen space can be designed to allow observation of preparatory processes, enhancing transparency and creating an interactive experience between visitors and the ongoing activities within the space.

Integrating Form and Function

The central circular form demonstrates how design can simultaneously combine aesthetics and functionality. Focusing on architectural details achieves visual harmony while supporting the functional performance of the space, both in terms of circulation and user experience.

Precision and Cohesion in Design

By integrating functional elements with carefully considered architectural details, a balance between technical performance and beauty is achieved, giving the space a cohesive character that harmonizes visual appeal with practicality. This approach reflects the importance of holistic thinking in designing innovative interior environments.

Spacious restaurant dining area with natural light, wooden furniture, and indoor trees against a dark wooden backdrop.
Large architectural volumes and natural elements enhance the sense of spaciousness and dynamism. (Image © Oculis Project)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Blu Mare project can be regarded as an intriguing case study in exploring the relationship between nature and interior space. Among its strengths, the integration of materials and colors, along with the fluidity of curves, stands out as a means to provide a fully integrated sensory experience, reflecting an architectural attention to detail and human experience within the space.

However, this approach may face certain challenges when applied on a larger scale or in different contexts. The need to unify precise colors and materials may limit design flexibility, while a heavy reliance on curves and large volumes could increase difficulties in adapting to daily use or maintenance requirements. Furthermore, not all natural elements inspired by the local environment may be applicable elsewhere, necessitating a reconsideration of the balance between aesthetics and practical function.

Overall, the project can serve as a source of inspiration for experimenting with material, color, and scale, while focusing on analyzing the interactions between users and space, without being seen as a model for blind replication in other designs. Such studies enhance the ability to assess the sensory and architectural impact of design choices while maintaining higher practical flexibility for future projects.


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