Reinach Mendonça designs a low volume retreat in Sao Paulo’s commuter-zone
Where do busy Paulistanos go when they want a break from the largest Brazilian metropolis' hectic daily life? They head upstate, to the green expanses of the wider Sao Paulo territory. And this is exactly what a family of four did, when they decided to build a holiday home in the Bragança Paulista commuter zone, some 90km for the city. The house – a contemporary 3,461 sq m low rise volume – was designed by Reinach Mendonça Arquitetos.
The architects not only designed the house, but they also helped their clients pick their plot, set in one of the area's growing private communities. The spot looks out towards green hills and a lush garden, so the structure's orientation was planned around its surroundings in order to provide users with the best vistas of relaxing countryside. The site's sloped nature helped with that, although also created challenges when it came to the internal arrangement, which the architects overcame by composing different levels that ease the visitor into the home.
A grand main floor on the ground level hosts an outdoor swimming pool, a few steps below a generous open plan living space; the two are connected through an expansive paved terrace. The indoor areas can open up completely to the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling glass sliding panels, providing a softer transition between the natural and the manmade. In fact, all the social spaces are arranged within this level, while the three family bedrooms and bathrooms are nestled upstairs; kept separate for extra privacy.
The materials used are few and simple – concrete for the structure, walls and ceilings, metal awning and aluminium frames for the openings. And while the house is no doubt quite the looker, it includes several clever sustainable solutions too, such as rainwater collection systems for irrigation, and photovoltaic panels for solar energy for water and pool heating; making this beautiful retreat, a considerate one too.
INFORMATION
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).
-
Discover Acqua di Parma’s new Mandarino di Sicilia fragrance at Milan Design Week 2024
Acqua di Parma and Fornice Objects bring the splendour of Sicilian mandarin fields to Milan to celebrate new fragrance Mandarino di Sicilia
By Simon Mills Published
-
First look at Samba Room, London’s innovative cocktail lounge packed with Brazilian energy
London’s Samba Room, an extension of SushiSamba, is a dynamic bar, lounge and private dining space designed by Fabled Studio
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Thom Browne shows how to make the perfect bed with theatrical performance at Milan Design Week 2024
American fashion designer Thom Browne makes his Milan Design Week debut with a new homeware collection created in collaboration with historic linen company Frette
By Scarlett Conlon 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
-
Rúina, Brazil: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Brazil’s Rúina enters the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah Published