Fig Tree House

FIG TREE HOUSE

Estúdio Lava

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

ARCHITECTS
Estúdio Lava

LEAD ARCHITECT
Julia Reis, Lucas Bueno

COORDINATION
Julia Reis, Lucas Bueno

PROJECT TEAM
Daniella Gerbasi

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Costa Verde Imóveis

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Eduardo Caldeira

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > ELECTRICAL
Aline Gaspar

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
Luís Carlos Bortolini, Kayu Marcenaria

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > STRUCTURAL
Timbau

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > FACILITIES CONSULTING > ELECTRICAL
José Euclides

MANUFACTURERS
Bruno Sales Bambú, Timbau

PHOTOGRAPHS
Pedro Kok, Julia Reis

AREA
200 m²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Tanguá, Brazil

CATEGORY
Residential Architecture, Houses

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

English description provided by the architects.

The construction of a residence at Praia da Figueira in Angra dos Reis faced the challenge of being built on a sloped terrain with dense Atlantic Forest vegetation.

The semicircular shape stems from the intention to orient the building towards both the sunset and the open sea horizon across the island of Gipóia.

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

The gesture that traces the Sun's path in the sky has been incorporated into the architecture, organizing the layout of the house along an arc, facing a wide wooden deck that embraces the existing trees on the site and backed by a generous circular patio.

The house is accommodated on the terrain through two large levels/terraces, organizing the slope, with walkways marked by wooden sleepers that follow the shapes proposed by the architecture.

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

The choice of Glued Laminated Timber (GLT) as the main material was crucial to ensure lightness and integration with the natural environment, providing an architectural solution that combines sustainability, durability, and aesthetics.

Being a high-performance engineered material, composed of glued wood layers, it offers excellent mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and versatility of shapes.

Furthermore, it is a sustainable option, as it comes from renewable sources and has a low environmental impact in its production.

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

The ease of assembly, high durability, and ability to support heavy loads guided the choice of construction technique, allowing for large free spans and fluid shapes that integrate with the environment.

The entire structure of the house was designed using the GLT system in Pine, finished with a Stain in the color Imbuia, creating a frank dialogue between the natural elements of the surroundings and the constructed ones.

Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

The structural components were carefully designed and fabricated through an advanced machining process, responding to the project geometry and ensuring precision in the joints and efficiency in assembly.

The complementary materials used interact with the wood, such as the granite retaining walls, the Portuguese stone flooring, and the woven bamboo ceiling, reinforcing the connection of the building with its surroundings.

Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis

The arrangement of the house in five modules allows for a fluid and functional spatial organization, structured by trapezoidal main columns and beams.

The kitchen, composed of one module, positioned next to the road, opens up to the living room, which occupies two complete modules.

The bedrooms are organized around the hydraulic module of the bathroom, composed of three spaces separated by a wall that can be used simultaneously: shower, toilet, and external sink.

Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok

One of the highlight elements of the project is the wooden deck suspended by "tree-like" pillars, attached to exposed reinforced concrete bases, providing a natural extension of the internal space to the landscape.


Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Julia Reis
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok


Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok
Fig Tree House
© Pedro Kok


Fig Tree House
Layout Plan
Fig Tree House
Diagram


Fig Tree House
General Section
Fig Tree House
Street Elevation
Fig Tree House
Patio Elevation


Fig Tree House
Exploded Isometric
Fig Tree House
Isometric