Casa Areia is completely impractical, but so very awe-inspiring. Floors made of sand?! Absolutely stunning.

This gorgeous cluster of architecture by Aires Mateus Architects is being exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2010). The project is located seaside in Comporta, Portugal, and boasts living room and kitchen floors composed of a nostalgic layer of local sand grains.

These gorgeous photographs by Nelson Garrido have captured the rich textures of the design – perfectly contrasting each grain of sand against crisp white furnishings and linear thatch.

Garrido shares these words about Casa Areia,

“The sand transported to the interior becomes the unifying element between internal and external worlds, making us believe we live in an extension of the natural environment. This particularity transforms the space scale and living in this house becomes more poetic and comfortable. This project, materialized in a sequence of volumes with a minimalism and traditional construction that camouflages modern technology, leaves us feeling that there is something more beyond the simplicity of things.”

Looking for a little more Venice Biennale eye candy? Check out this art installation.

(This coastal delight was spotted at Paonote Room 269 and Dezeen.)

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