Habitar o Mar. Um veleiro como Exercício de Projeto, a Relação da Náutica com a Arquitetura

Abstract

This work aims to project a sailing yacht capable of achieving good sailing performance while offering comfortable living conditions. It seeks to understand to what extent the motivations that guide project choices in architecture may be relevant to the conception of the boat's habitable space, and also whether this premise can be reversed, that is, whether nautical project can offer a meaningful contribution to the architect's work in interpreting how to inhabit minimal domestic space. First of all, the study seeks to understand the connection between architecture and the sea, focusing on architects who have drawn references from the nautical world or who have projected sailing yachts. In a second stage, a general approach is taken to the sailing boat as a whole, considering its various components, its structure and the complexity of its operation, as well as its evolution, with particular emphasis on the transition towards the model that shapes the commercially produced yacht as we know it today. This transition began with the J Class in the early twentieth century and was followed by several key references. Finally, the project exercise itself is addressed. Emphasising the concept of minimal living space, the project seeks to project welcoming spaces on board - both in the interior cabin and on the exterior deck and cockpit - that ensure the fulfilment of all the requirements necessary to live with comfort and quality, without compromising sailing efficiency. This is based on the conviction that such a balance is only possible within an optimised space, adapted to the human scale and to the function required at each moment of life on board. To this end, the idea of "multifunctionality" associated with minimal living equipment is explored: the habitable space thus functions as a mechanism in conjunction with the equipment it incorporates. Reference is made to the contribution of Le Corbusier through the iconic Le Cabanon at Cap-Martin which, based on an ergonomic and functionalist approach, represents the paradigm of minimal living space, having as its direct reference a boat cabin.