B&B Sado Setúbal - Hospitality

The Melon (The Challenge)

Some people believe in chance. We believe in the attraction of values. Working with B&B Hotels taught us a very powerful business lesson: Purpose knows no scale.

You can be a large corporation and still have a radical commitment to people and the planet. The brief from this giant was exciting: to elevate the experience of their hotel in Sado Setúbal (Portugal) through the redesign of part of the building.

The challenge wasn’t just about "renovating" a space for a B Corp company; it was about honoring one. Destroying what was there never even crossed our minds. Quite the opposite — the building had columns, floors, moldings, and tiles that carried symbolic weight; they were telling a story. The melon to crack was how to make the old building speak the language of a modern, sustainable brand without silencing its history.

What We Cracked (The Strategic Insight)

We chose Radical Coexistence.We understood that B&B Hotels is the kind of "Brave Client" we want to work with: the kind that challenges us to design better thanks to their unwavering commitment to the business, people, and the planet.

The insight was simple yet profound: Preservation is the ultimate act of sustainability.Instead of erasing the past, we decided to amplify its history and legacy. We cracked a design language where the building’s old, timeworn character meets the new. We didn't impose; we curated a dialogue between the rigid classical architecture and a contemporary, fluid experience.

The Juice (The Solution)

To spark this contemporary dialogue, we leaned into a concept rooted in Warm Minimalism. We preserved the architectural soul while injecting a new layer of comfort:

• Honoring the Bones: We kept the original stone, ceramics, and moldings. These weren't obstacles; they were the premium backdrop.
• Comforting Curves: To soften the rigidity of the preserved classical architecture, we introduced organic furniture that visually embraces the guest.
• Atmosphere Engineering: We deployed an earthy, neutral color palette to dial down the intensity, paired with emotional lighting designed to evoke serenity and wellbeing.

This approach wasn't just aesthetic; it was a strategic move aligned with B Corp values: minimizing waste by maximizing the use of existing structures.

The Flavor (The Result)

A space where profitability and positive impact not only coexist but multiply together.The result is a hotel that breathes calm and sophistication, elevating the guest’s perception of value far beyond the "economy" label.

By refusing to destroy, we created a unique identity for Sado Setúbal that stands out in the B&B portfolio. It is a project that reflects how we understood — and still understand — design at Melon Breakers: with soul, purpose, and a radical respect for the environment.

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Cooked up at WANNA, our former studio.