The OHLAB office released an architectural project consisting of a residence away from the urban environment, positioned in the mountains.
The conception of the project is marked by an architecture characterized as silent, fragmented, and almost subterranean. Instead of seeking prominence, the design proposes a lifestyle focused on establishing a deep dialogue with the terrain.
This project aims to redefine the way nature and domestic space interact, promoting a harmonious coexistence between both elements.
The Casa JA was conceived by the project team and reflects the unique characteristics of its location in Southern Amã. This property enjoys a privileged view of one of the city's largest public parks, in addition to offering continuous panoramas.
The steep slope of the land, along with the oak trees that were kept around the lot, served as inspiration for the architectural concept. This concept focuses on creating a green platform arranged in terraces, integrating the landscape directly into the building's interior.
In addition to visually incorporating nature, the design also organically positions the primary living spaces within the terrain itself, respecting the existing topography and vegetation.
Casa Óculo, a single-family residence located in a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Palma, was conceived based on a notably simple yet bold architectural gesture: an extensive flat roof extending from east to west. The project uses light, materiality, and climate as central pillars of its conception.
The rational form of the house was shaped to respond to a south-facing slope, offering expansive views of the mountains and meeting the needs of a structured client program. The final result is a contemporary Mediterranean home that manages to harmonize efficiency, tactile sensitivity, and a strong sense of belonging.
The roof is supported by a series of load-bearing walls coated with lime mortar, arranged along the north-south axis. These walls play an organizational role in the spaces, establish the rhythm of the building, and function as visual filters. They protect the sides from adjacent plots while framing wide and directed views towards the south and the mountains. Furthermore, this orientation optimizes natural cross-ventilation, ensuring continuous passive thermal comfort throughout the year.
The vast roof acts as a protective element surrounding the house, generating generous verandas around the perimeter. These shaded transition areas soften the boundary between the interior and exterior environment, providing sun protection during hotter months and allowing the house to be used adaptably in any season.
On the main terrace, a central component stands out: a solar oculus cut into the roof. This oculus has the geometry of an oblique and eccentric truncated cone. It was specifically designed to capture winter light and direct it into the living room. Thus, the oculus creates a dynamic focal point of warmth and luminosity that gradually moves throughout the day, from the dining area to the living room, functioning as a domestic sundial. During the summer, the change in solar angle restricts the light to the terrace, preventing direct radiation incidence and protecting the interior spaces.
The construction employs noble and natural materials, including stone flooring, wooden frames, and natural brass details. The lime mortar, used on the walls, is a living, hygroscopic, and breathable material that helps regulate humidity, enhances internal well-being, and develops a characteristic patina over time, lending authenticity to the work.
The Mediterranean garden, characterized by being low-maintenance and requiring little water consumption, is considered a vital part of the project. It was planned to have a natural and mutable appearance, blending with the surrounding landscape and reinforcing the presence of nearby mountains. Native species form a living composition that reacts to the seasons through their flowering cycles, treating vegetation as another architectural material capable of interacting with the structure through textures, colors, and movement, enriching the house's experience over time.
In summary, Casa Óculo represents a concise manifesto of the contemporary Mediterranean lifestyle: an architecture that is efficient, tactile, and deeply connected to its place, built to interact with the climate, age gracefully, and find its primary constructive elements in light, landscape, and time.
The project presented by the Santa Marta Student Center in collaboration with the Mazzanti Team aims to create an architectural space that deeply integrates with the site, appropriating the environment and dissolving among the trees, recognizing the existing vegetation.
The space's roof was designed to merge with the landscaping, resulting in an environment reminiscent of a grove. In this concept, the architecture not only accompanies but also enhances the natural characteristics of the terrain.
This space was conceived as a place for meeting and interaction, where activities such as resting, dialogue, and playing are presented as complementary methods of learning. Students have the opportunity to explore the outdoor environment in various ways, whether relaxing, swinging, climbing, lying down, or jumping, all immersed in nature.
To support the dynamics of the location, sound and interaction devices were incorporated, which serve both to host events and to create ambient sound and act as a communication channel between students, reinforcing the participatory nature of the project.
The proposal includes a flexible structure, designed to adapt to the existing trees and operate as a network capable of growing and adjusting to the specific conditions of the site. Shade, considered an essential meeting point in the city, gave rise to a space that is simultaneously airy, shaded, and pleasant.
The Student Center organizes various zones designated for studying, meetings, relaxation, meals, and leisure. Furthermore, it incorporates a module containing restrooms and a cafeteria, establishing itself as the main convergence point for the entire student community.
