This Brazil mountain retreat is a ‘timeless ruin‘
Bocaina-Paraty House is a timeless Brazil mountain retreat by architects Cicero Ferraz Cruz and Fábio Mosaner
Brazil mountain retreat Bocaina-Paraty House is ‘first and foremost an idea’, explain its architects, Cicero Ferraz Cruz and Fábio Mosaner. The project, a dwelling nestled in the verdant slopes of the Bocaina region outside the historic Brazilian town of Paraty, is a powerful design – an architectural rock formation springing from its natural surroundings.
The idea behind this Brazil mountain retreat
'The idea for this house was to poetically imagine a situation where the stones had always been there, rearranged by nature, like a timeless ruin. Embedded precisely in the best site, on the sunniest slope, protected from southerly winds and open to the sun from the north. Our ruin would be in the exact place, chosen after months of observation and appreciation: we are thus making a brand new ruin!' the architects say.
The home is made of stone, coupled with cross laminated timber (CLT) and glass, both materials that claim their space in this green setting. Large windows in harmoniously placed locations on the façade, terraces and more in-between areas that connect inside and outside ensure the inhabitants can feel this connection with nature and can enjoy the environment.
Playing with the concept of the country's typical two-level house arrangement, the architects composed a piano nobile that contains all the main living areas. The 'base' of this Brazilian mountain retreat mimic a 'pedestal', the architects say. At the same time, the piano nobile and the asymmetrical fluctuations of its windowsills make it feel contemporary, while ensuring it gives the impression that it's smaller than it is. 'This is not a classic two-storey house – it is a house over a ruin.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron by Mathieu Lehanneur: 'the object which unites our energies'
Mathieu Lehanneur unveiled his design for the Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron for Paris 2024 as the Torch Relay prepares to make its debut in Marseille on 8 May
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Alternate worlds and end of days: Pierre Huyghe in Venice
Pierre Huyghe delves into dystopia with 'Liminal', at Palazzo Grassi’s Punta della Dogana in Venice
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Designer Holly Waterfield creates luxurious pied-à-terre in Renzo Piano Manhattan high-rise
A private residence by Holly Waterfield Design Studio in Renzo Piano's skyscraper 565 Broome Soho blends a sense of calm and cosiness with stunning city views
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
The Brazilian Forest House injects art into a modernist-inspired, contemporary design
The Brazilian Forest House, designed in upstate São Paulo by FGMF, brings together nature and art
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Marcio Kogan’s Studio MK27 celebrated in this new monograph from Rizzoli
‘The Architecture of Studio MK27. Lights, camera, action’ is a richly illustrated journey through the evolution of this famed Brazilian architecture studio
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Brazil’s Casa Subtração contrasts dramatic concrete brutalism with openness
Casa Subtração by FGMF is defined by brutalist concrete and sharp angles that contrast with the green Brazilian landscape
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Arthur Casas’ Pacaembu House wins Best Urban Bolthole in Wallpaper* Design Awards 2024
Pacaembu House by Arthur Casas is a São Paulo residence that feels like an idyllic escape
By Scott Mitchem Published
-
This Brazilian house uses concrete and wood to screen a sleek horizontal living space
The Brazilian house in Minas Gerais by Tetro Arquitetura is designed to elevate and simplify the art of one-level living
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Mario Cucinella's Nice headquarters in Brazil offers a bioclimatic take on industrial architecture
Comprising a manufacturing base and R&D Centre, the Nice headquarters in Brazil by Mario Cucinella Architects hail a new era for the company
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Casa Boa Vista is a Brazilian home that opens up to its natural views
Casa Boa Vista by Arthur Casas makes the most of transparencies and natural materials to highlight views and nature in Upstate São Paulo
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Roca São Paulo Gallery’s architecture is a tribute to the Atlantic Forest
Roca São Paulo Gallery designed by architect Fernanda Marques opens in Brazil
By Ellie Stathaki Published