Casa Rea | Sandro Uzila

Here’s a description of the project:

In a quiet Istrian village near Završje, in the heart of olive-grove country close to Motovun, sits the residence known as Casa Rea. This project by architect-designer Sandro Užila was featured in Vogue Adria, underscoring its architectural and aesthetic significance. 

Casa Rea is more than a holiday home—it’s a subtle celebration of place. Its 150 m² floor plan includes a terrace, pool, sauna and abundant views of the surrounding olive trees. From the bed you look toward the hill of Motovun; at the entrance you’re almost invisible from the road.

What makes the house feel “right” in the landscape is the intentional simplicity and respect for local materiality. The stone came from Grožnjan, selected specifically for its dark-yellowish hue and regional identity. Micro-cement floors, uniform wood tones and black-metal accents bring an understated modernity that doesn’t clash with its rural setting. 

Large glass walls dissolve the boundary between inside and outside, letting you “wake up in the olive grove” and frame the sunset over the pool like a living painting. Conceptually, Užila’s aim was to let architecture become an extension of its natural context rather than an intrusion. 

Furniture and lighting were custom designed—coffee tables crafted from hornbeam stumps, a bespoke dining table, simple but effective lighting solutions—so that every element possesses character. “I dislike repeating elements… my goal is an individual atmosphere,” Užila remarks. 

In short: Casa Rea is a case study in restraint, context-sensitivity, and refined familial retreat. It reminds us that luxury needn’t shout; it can whisper through materials, light and landscape.