The Treinta y Nueve Árboles house project, designed by Grizzo Studio, is located in the Karilo forest on a richly vegetated plot. Here, sunlight filtering through the canopies of dozens of trees illuminates the ground covered with climbing plants. The main objective of the project was to preserve this natural state, so the house is designed to harmonize with its surroundings, not trying to dominate them, but to integrate and intertwine with the trees.
Thus, the building transforms into an atrium for contemplating nature, guiding visitors into the forest so they can experience its atmosphere. The residential complex offers two ways to explore the forest: panoramic, which passes through the thicket both from inside and outside, and ascending, achieved via glass walkways connecting different levels. These paths allow one to understand the structure of the forest by tracing it from the roots to the treetops.
Since this is a summer retreat house, the experience of staying in the project is realized through two routes. The first runs inside the building: starting from a semi-submerged vestibule, the middle levels lead to the entire program of the house, concluding at a terrace at the level of the tree canopy. The second route invites a walk around the perimeter, first crossing the inner courtyard and the semi-open area with a fireplace at the root level, and then reaching the garden, pool, and veranda of the house.
The choice of materials for the project was made so that they would not attract excessive attention, but rather coexist with nature, allowing vegetation and the passage of time to transform and colonize the structure.
The project team described Casa de los Patios as a residence that does not interfere with the surrounding landscape but rather integrates it. The concept is based on a series of low volumes arranged across the terrain, creating an environment that fosters tranquility and connection with natural elements.
The lot, which has a fan shape, is located in Estancias del Pilar. It is situated in a vast area of old countryside, offering wide views of the golf course on its largest side, as well as a lagoon in the background and a public park positioned in the front. The terrain is characterized by being flat but featuring gentle hills, described as generous and vibrant, possessing its own essence and rhythm.
The clients presented the challenge of creating a unique design for this land, capable of maximizing its visual potential. The starting point of the project was the clients' appreciation and history with the field and nature, ensuring that all decisions were made in harmony with the search for an atmosphere of serenity. The primary intention was to conceive a home that belonged to the place without overpowering it, considering the existing topography, established trees, and the human scale of the rural environment.
The challenge went beyond the technical aspect, becoming sensory: how to build a high-quality refuge without isolating the outside world? The solution found was dispersion. Instead of concentrating all functions in a single block, the house unfolds into low modules that spread across the terrain and are interconnected by walkways. Courtyards were inserted among these volumes.
The courtyards play a central role in the project, functioning as the core of the residence. They establish a path leading from the exterior to the most private spaces of the house, gradually modulating the transition between public and intimate, between exposed and protected. Each courtyard has a specific function, and each tree contributes a distinct color, resulting in a fusion between the construction and the landscape.
The distribution of areas follows the function. From the street, one accesses a connection space that leads to the more open social area, such as the gourmet space equipped with a barbecue. This space connects to the upper floor, where leisure and playful activities are located, such as the studio and the game room. Through a large walkway, the flow directs towards the private and daily use social area of the family, including the kitchen, living room, and dining room. Following another walkway and passing through another courtyard, one reaches the children's bedroom section. Finally, a walkway culminates in the master suite hall, where all rooms are designed with a focus on cross-ventilation, natural light, and beautiful views.
The chosen materials carry a particular memory. On the exterior, wood was subjected to a Japanese artisanal treatment known as shou sugi ban, after being burned, to achieve the ideal tone and texture that increases its durability and comfort without losing its organic nature. Inside, American oak underwent several tests to achieve the desired shine, warmth, and tone.
The boundaries between the interior and exterior are dissolved: external walls continue inside, and internal finishes extend and transform into furniture, allowing a single element to resolve all functional needs. The text concludes that the experience provided by the house is the expansion of the temporal sensation in nature, inspiring calm and connection. Light does not just illuminate; it reveals, and the work invites the inhabitant to be part of it, returning to those who live in it the experience of belonging to the place.
The Conto dos Pátios Coloridos Residence project, developed by Architects Collaborative, consists of a single-family residence located in a serene residential neighborhood in the city of Noida.
This house was built on a 300 m² plot and has a southwest orientation. The design allows the residence to have a direct opening to a small park located in front of it, providing residents with a pleasant view of the green area.
The design of Casa São Pedro, located in a gated community in the interior of São Paulo, was conceived based on the idea of maximizing the views offered by the land and taking advantage of the rich surrounding vegetation, promoting a strong connection between the built structure and the lot's external space.
The residence is formed by two main bodies. The ground floor, characterized by being extensively glazed, houses all the social functions of the project, including living rooms, home theater, wine cellar, kitchen, service areas, and garage. The upper floor is dedicated to the residents' bedrooms.
The spatial organization is notable: while the ground floor volume follows a longitudinal alignment on the land, the upper volume sits on it in a transverse orientation. This superposition results in the creation of a vast balcony and a gourmet area located below, both integrated with the living room, sunroom, and pool.
This arrangement of stacked blocks is accentuated by the contrast in finishes. The block designated for common areas is predominantly transparent, enclosed almost entirely by glass. In contrast, the upper volume is defined by imposing slatted wood panels, which cover the entire upper body through fixed panels and clam-shell doors.
Considering the slight slope of the land, the house was positioned at its intermediate point, which ensured privacy for the residents and maintained excellent perspectives of the surroundings. The pool, located at the front of the lot, capitalizes on this view and extends beneath the house, giving the living room the feeling of floating over its water mirror.
The interior design, also executed by FGMF, had as its primary objective to harmonize completely with the building's architecture while introducing concepts of comfort and warmth into all spaces of this highly transparent construction.
