House in Santo Antônio do Pinhal

The house, with a total area of 740 m², is located in the Serra da Mantiqueira, a highland region in São Paulo countryside. The actual plot is the result of the union of three individual plots and presents an irregular shape and rugged topography, with about 14 meters of difference between the highest and lowest point of the lot. As the client’s requirements were extensive, the solution of dividing the house into different modules was combined with the terrain conditions and sought to avoid resulting in a large-scale volume. By distributing the modules around the leisure area and the pool, these were located at different levels in order to reduce the interference in the original topography and, at the same time, created multiple paths and connections between them.

Photography by © Manuel Sá

The circulation areas assume great importance in the concept of the project, resulting in various views of the mountainous region, and are presented in different architectural solutions: external and internal connections, through stairs, walkways and paths in the garden. Besides that, the implementation of the residence in multiple modules allows the house also to be used in a modular way. This way, it can be fully open up and host all the family and several guests or, on the contrary, be used only partially by fewer people. From the point of view of its structural design, the solution was to create a series of concrete ground floor, all of them being free from the ground and supported by small height concrete columns. In the central leisure area, the heart of the house, it also uses a concrete slab in order to use it as a garden and terrace, taking advantage of the pleasant climate of the region. In the suite and more private modules, above the concrete columns, the structure and the cover are made of Eucalyptus Glued-Laminated Timber, manufactured and assembled by Ita Construtora.

Photography by © Manuel Sá

The Glued-Laminated Timber solution prioritizes the agility and serialization techniques of its components, avoiding waste of materials and resulting in a fast execution. Besides that, it was the ideal solution demanded by the difficulties to access the plot and several restrictions of the place. The façades of the bedroom and more private modules are lined with native wood (itaúba) panels and the central module is lined with concrete panels molded on site. The project was designed looking to value and use the largest number of wood components (structure, roof, doors and windows and other complements), in order to generate a low impact construction in the natural environment and to create a delightful space for its users.

Photography by © Manuel Sá

Project Info:
Architects: Gui Paoliello Arquiteto
Location: Santo Antonio Do Pinhal, Brazil
Area: 738 m²
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Manuel Sá
Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Alwitra, Ana Lúcia Ozi Arquitetura, Casa das Lareiras, Kan Tui Casa e Bem Estar, Portobello, REKA, Sodramar, Trimble, Zanchet