Brazil family house by Estúdio Zargos bridges the gap between town and country
Estúdio Zargos designed this elegant modernist house for a steep site in Brazil’s Belo Horizonte
Estúdio Zargos’ latest family house in Belo Horizonte, Casa Prática, was designed to accommodate an existing site for an unbuilt house, complete with slab and elevations. The architects’ approach was to raise up the accommodation, inside and out, to form a new ground level above a concrete undercroft.
Casa Prática by Estúdio Zargos
Casa Prática is set at the end of a dead-end street; behind the house, the landscape rises suddenly, creating a hilly green backdrop to the architecture. The material and colour palettes are kept natural and low-key, with the hard landscaping scattered with planters and greenery fringing the site to blur the boundary between garden and terrain.
The architects describe the project as ‘concise, cohesive and coherent’, with a simple layout that exploits the existing site conditions without compromising the accommodation. The house is therefore elevated up above the regular street, with the entrance level accessed by vehicle ramp and a set of steps, set behind the obligatory high walls. These lead to the covered courtyard, which serves as a parking area, as well as containing storage, staff accommodation and utilities.
The main staircase is set in one corner of the trapezoid-shaped plan, a stone structure flanked by full-height windows. This leads up to the expansive second floor, complete with open-plan living and dining, off which is a large triangular terrace. A small lap pool is slotted into the edge of this outdoor area, as well as a covered section for al fresco dining.
Four bedrooms are arranged at the southern end of the floorplan, with three given direct access to a slender balcony tucked beneath the roof plane. The principal bedroom has direct access to the main terrace, with a large full-height sliding screen of slatted timber providing complete privacy when needed.
Interior finishes match exterior ones, from poured and precast concrete to stone and timber. Set high on the edges of the city, the terrace and living room overlook Belo Horizonte’s densely populated skyline to the north. The house offers up what the architects call a ‘simultaneous dialogue’ between the city and the landscape, a peaceful, verdant frame from which to observe the bright city lights.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
A new limited-edition Rhodes piano and Gibson doubleneck guitar aim for the stars
The new Rhodes Mk8 Earth Edition piano and Gibson Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck guitar revisit classic instruments at a price
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new interior design trends we spotted at Salone del Mobile 2024
These are the interior design trends to look out for in 2024 and beyond, from soft upholstery to conversation pits and low dining
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Tiffany & Co nods to its theatrical history with a surreal new campaign
Tiffany & Co campaign ‘With Love, Since 1837’ sees Dan Tobin Smith and set designer Rachel Thomas create an offbeat set
By Hannah Silver 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