BERA BAY, a planned 33-villa complex by property developer INVERGROUP on a site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in Punta Ballena, Uruguay, has won the 2026 BIP Global Architecture Award in the Future Projects category and Multi-Residential subcategory.
Designed by architecture practice Carlos Ott Architects in association with Carlos Ponce de León Architects, the development posed a complex architectural and urban design challenge. The villas had to occupy a site descending approximately 55 metres towards the Atlantic Ocean while keeping the development no more than one metre above Carlos Páez Vilaró Road along its upper boundary. The design also had to preserve public views, provide privacy and accommodate the residential programme without overwhelming the hillside.
The architects responded by organising the villas into staggered residential groups that follow the contours. The low, horizontal arrangement preserves views from the road, opens the homes towards the coast and provides the separation required for privacy.
The BIP Global Architecture Awards recognise outstanding architectural projects from around the world and honour the visionary architects and companies behind them. Part of the Best International Project platform, the awards celebrate excellence in architecture across diverse typologies, scales and geographic contexts.
In awarding BERA BAY, the Jury recognised the architects’ disciplined resolution of terrain, height, outlook, density and privacy through a coherent design logic. It also commended them for preserving the identity of individual homes within a unified composition.
Commenting on the award, Carlos Ott Architects and Carlos Ponce de León Architects said:
“Together with developer INVERGROUP, we are very proud that BERA BAY has won the BIP Global Architecture Award. We thank the Jury and BIP for an important recognition of the project and our firms. We are always committed to excellence and proud to be working on this incredible sustainable project in Punta Ballena, Maldonado, Uruguay.”
Staggered masterplan resolves Punta Ballena’s constraints
The 30,199.42m2 site overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Solanas Beach, with Carlos Páez Vilaró Road forming its upper boundary.
Carlos Ott Architects in association with Carlos Ponce de León Architects studied more than 30 preliminary masterplans before selecting the final arrangement of residences, gardens, circulation routes and shared amenities.
The selected masterplan divides the villas into small groups across the contours, with some conceived as stand-alone homes. Their spacing governs privacy, outlook and the amount of sunlight reaching each residence. Levels and positions vary across the site, but all follow the same underlying plan.
The grouping accommodates the required density without resorting to either a single dominant building or a series of independently conceived houses.
Individual villas retain their identity within one ensemble
Horizontal proportions, staggered forms, green roofs and a shared material palette give residential groups of different sizes and configurations a common architectural identity.
The architects designed the residences to be set on pilotis, allowing sections of the natural contours to continue beneath the buildings and reducing the need to reshape the hillside.
Parking and service areas generally occupy the lower levels. Living spaces and bedrooms above open onto private gardens, broad terraces, swimming pools and fire pits. Cantilevered terraces extend towards the coast, while extensive glazing opens the interiors to the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding vegetation.
Exposed grey concrete, local stone, lapacho wood, dark aluminium and high-performance double glazing form the principal material palette.
Architectural variation is most evident in Casa Caleta, the project’s largest residence. Located close to the ocean nearby the site of an existing house, it will retain a stripped-back version of the original structure within a four-level residence comprising new volumes, terraces, pergolas and an outstanding double-height space, on top of a glass floor that looks to an existing stream.
“The contribution of BERA BAY in terms of urban integration is substantial.
Our office’s avowed goal was to optimise the connection between architecture and nature, privileging views of the Atlantic Ocean and the incidence of sunlight within each house.
The project is conceived as a residential group of unique villas floating above the terrain.“
– Carlos Ott
Masterplan integrates access, landscape and amenities
The award also reflects how access, landscape and amenities support the Villas’ privacy and outlook.
The circulation plan organises resident, visitor and service movements across the steep site. The principal entrance is positioned on Carlos Páez Vilaró Road, with a secondary pedestrian and service entrance from Playero Road.
Residents can drive to their villas, while visitors may park near the entrance and continue in an accessible solar-electric shuttle. Pedestrian paths wind through existing trees, and the villa groups are positioned to retain as many trees and palms as possible.
An access pavilion and social gathering spaces occupy approximately 855m2. The gym and spa are set beneath landscaped areas to reduce their visual presence on the hillside. An eye-shaped glazed wall opens westwards towards the Atlantic Ocean and the plot.
Development ambition reconciled with coastal sensitivity
The Jury saw merit in BERA BAY’s balance between the development value of the Villas and the environmental capacity of a sensitive coastal site.
Pilotis reduce the need to alter the contours, while green roofs limit the visibility of the buildings from above. Existing trees, new gardens and shaded walking routes are intended to provide summer shade, admit winter sunlight and support natural ventilation.
Orientation and massing are used to limit energy demand, supported by passive and active heating and cooling systems, insulated construction and high-performance glazing. Photovoltaic and solar-thermal panels are integrated into envelopes clad in wood, recycled brick and stone, while reclaimed materials are proposed where feasible.
The houses are designed to qualify for zero-energy building classification. They are also intended to generate enough surplus energy to power a small electric vehicle for each residence over the course of a year.
“The relationship between BERA BAY and Punta Ballena, as a built environment, and its inhabitants suggests the importance of the proposed design as a dynamic environment, inseparable from its links to material, environmental and cultural practices.”
– Carlos Ponce de León
“Fundamental among these is the way in which the project transforms the site into a place where the pre-existing nature, and the connection with land, sky and sea, are valued. We want to encourage residents to walk through the area, protected by a network of paths winding through the existing trees. These pedestrian walkways are sheltered from the summer sun while still allowing residents to enjoy the winter sun.”
“Respect for the existing topography and vegetation, as well as the rocky soil, will undoubtedly mark a before and after in the construction of this unique enclave. Creating shade in summer and allowing for natural cross-ventilation are among the project´s achievements, along with the integration of greenery into the proposed architecture,” Carlos Ponce de León added.
Construction on the ambitious residential project is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the homes expected to be delivered 24 months later.
The award affirms the precision with which BERA BAY accommodates a high-value residential programme within the visual and environmental limits of the Punta Ballena hillside.
About Carlos Ott Architects
Carlos Ott Architects is an international architecture and design practice led by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott. Founded in 1983, the practice has more than 40 years of experience in architecture, interior design and urban planning. Their work includes large residential, commercial, cultural, healthcare, hospitality and public projects.
About Carlos Ponce de León Architects
Carlos Ponce de León Architects is an international architecture, interior design and urbanism studio based in Montevideo. The practice was founded in 2004 by Carlos Ponce de León following his partnership with Adolfo F. Pozzi Güelfi between 1985 and 2004.
The studio has designed homes, multi-residential developments, hotels, laboratories, offices and IT campuses in more than 15 countries around the world, including Uruguay, Argentina, India, Sri Lanka, US, Peru, Brazil and the UAE. Its work also covers landscape design and urban planning, while its association with Carlos Ott has included large-scale masterplanning as well as cultural, airports, office and residential projects.
About INVERGROUP
INVERGROUP is a Uruguayan property developer with more than 50 years of experience delivering premium projects in the country’s principal cities. Its completed developments include Aquarela, Greenlife, Villa D’Este, Amphion, Lincoln Center, Golf Tower and Torre Libertad, with much of its portfolio concentrated in Punta del Este and Montevideo.
The company’s portfolio comprises apartment buildings, private residential communities, coastal homes and large residential plots, with several developments combining extensive amenities with locations close to Uruguay’s coast and natural landscapes. Its current projects include BERA BAY, Greenlife Boulevard, Agreste, La Aguada and Laguna.
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Carlos Ott Architects
Carlos Ponce de León Architects
INVERGROUP
