House In Bocaina

Since the first visit, we were greatly impressed by the power of Serra da Bocaina, just like the client who requested a house that "embraced the landscape."

After many studies and conversations, in order to interpret this desire, we arrived at a curved form that seeks to incorporate the exterior into the interior of the house in a panoramic manner.

The challenge of negotiating common and private spaces within a circular form led us to examine other architectural references, vernacular constructions, and community spaces that have a deep connection to their environment.

In search of the circular house, within a space enclosed by many trees, we ended up finding the intersection of two arches where we situated the project. Two squares, separated and rotated 45 degrees, are connected by curves, housing the common space between them.

This radial design converges towards the magnetic core of the house: the fireplace constructed by Lew French using materials collected from the region. Simultaneously, this core opens up to the exterior, endorsed by the inverted roof that brings the mountain peaks inside the house.

The tropical forest can be contemplated from within a protected interior, shielded from its wildlife. Artificial lighting is minimal, with soft light accents forcing us to recalibrate our vision at night, causing less disturbance to the life that resides outside.

The three terraces, aligned on the east-west axis, serve as platforms for panoramic views of the mountains and stars. During the day, the white stone flooring deflects the heat of the sun, and at night, it illuminates the space by reflecting the moonlight.

The central terrace's slab bends to allow indirect light into the interior of the house, beneath the inverted roof. The project's diagonals create unexpected patterns of light that dance through the house throughout the day.

Although it's not advisable to be outside during a tropical storm, this is when the house showcases its greatest attraction, and its ends become two torrential waterfalls.

The Serra da Bocaina is one of the largest protected areas of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, located on the border between the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

These mountains are home to a rich biodiversity, including endemic and endangered species such as the jaguar. We aimed to build a house in this location without saturating its soil and to establish a balanced relationship with the preservation of this and other landscapes, considering that some elements needed to come from elsewhere.

The entire sanitation system of the house was implemented using permaculture techniques such as the ET bed (evapotranspiration bed) and the banana circle, ensuring that the soil remains uncontaminated and that wastewater is transformed into nutrients.

There was a significant concern about the source of the wood, given the high deforestation rates in the country in recent years.[1] All the wood used for the structure, facade, floors, and roof lining comes from sustainable forestry management, and all the carpentry is made from reclaimed materials.

In addition to the sunshades, natural fiber curtains surround the interior spaces, functioning as an additional layer and a light filter for the house.

Its natural resin gradually burns and seals the wood exposed to the sun, making it increasingly hard and gray over time. As time passes, the house also ages, and its exterior becomes increasingly stone-like, forming a tough shell around a soft and protected core.

The market for sustainable forestry management is still underdeveloped in the country, and the cost of these woods is significantly higher than the rest of the market value.