Although he maintains bases in both Milan and Porto Cervo, Sardinia, self-described “gypsy architect” Savin Couëlle is more often than not traveling the world, overseeing multiple projects on several continents: He recently completed a house in Sydney, Australia, and is working on a four-house complex in Dubai. The architect, however, does return often to Sardinia—as a boy he lived on the island while his architect father was involved in developing resorts on the Costa Smeralda. Couëlle has four houses in progress in the same area, as well as another farther inland. Of the latter, he notes, “It’s a country place by a lake, with a convent and a few buildings dedicated to local crafts. It’s a project that respects the architectural typology of the island.”

Unlike many of his peers, “I haven’t got a fixed team in my office,” Couëlle explains. Instead, no matter where he goes, “I have craftspeople whom I have trained over the years, who follow me around the world to help me realize the shapes I draw,” says the French-born, École des Beaux-Arts-educated Couëlle. As the architect reflects on his career, still thriving in its sixth decade, he concludes that while his aesthetic, which is characterized by organic, curving shapes and rough-hewn materials, has stayed much the same, like sculpture, “the practice gets better with experience; it’s the only good thing about getting older!”

Savin Couëlle

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