Country living: Fazenda Boa Vista by Fernanda Marques Arquitetos
Located in São Paulo, Brazil, Fazenda Boa Vista is not your typical country home. Brazilian architecture firm Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados was tasked with designing and creating a country home that was at once open, lightweight and integrated with the landscape, yet also sleek and luxurious.
The result is an elegant, earthen-toned 700 sq m house in wood, glass and stone. Completed in 2015 after two years of work, the steel framed former farmhouse follows the shape of the surrounding terrain; one of the architects' aims was to integrate the house into the Porto Feliz landscape. 'The idea of creating an almost transparent house was my goal in this project,' explains Fernanda Marques. 'The cross ventilation system implemented throughout the area, combined with the fully-opening glass panes of the façade create a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors.'
The building includes a living area, kitchen, master suite and four guest suites, with each space laid out to offer views of the surrounding golf course and lake. The home’s interior is filled with soft shades of dark brown and beige that complement the bucolic surroundings. Despite the neutral core colour scheme, Brazilian cumaru wood, textured fabric and glass furnishings lend a sophisticated feel typical of Marques’ clean, luxurious contemporary style. 'Despite its location,' she says, 'I tried to work the same technical, aesthetic and ethical possibilities that I do in my urban projects.'
The firm was tasked with designing and creating a country home that was at once open, lightweight and integrated with the landscape
The home is designed with a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a flow from the living rooms to the open-air pool and garden
To faciliate this, the façade is comprised of smooth sliding panels, giving the 700 sq m house an airy, lightweight feel
The home’s interior is filled with soft shades of dark brown and beige that complement the bucolic surroundings
The building includes a living area, kitchen, master suite and four guest suites, with each space laid out to offer views of the surrounding golf course and lake
After sunset, the open structure of the glass details and panels allow the house to light up the night
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados website
Photography: Fernando Guerrera. Courtesy Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
The White House faced the wrecking ball. Are these federal buildings next?Architects and preservationists weigh in on five buildings to watch in 2026, from brutalist icons to the 'Sistine Chapel' of New Deal art
-
Georgia Kemball's jewellery has Dover Street Market's stamp of approval: discover it hereSelf-taught jeweller Georgia Kemball is inspired by fairytales for her whimsical jewellery
-
The best way to see Mount Fuji? Book a stay hereAt the western foothills of Mount Fuji, Gora Kadan’s second property translates imperial heritage into a deeply immersive, design-led retreat
-
A spectacular new Brazilian house in Triângulo Mineiro revels in the luxury of spaceCasa Muxarabi takes its name from the lattice walls that create ever-changing patterns of light across its generously scaled interiors
-
An exclusive look at Francis Kéré’s new library in Rio de Janeiro, the architect’s first project in South AmericaBiblioteca dos Saberes (The House of Wisdom) by Kéré Architecture is inspired by the 'tree of knowledge', and acts as a meeting point for different communities
-
A Brasília apartment harnesses the power of optical illusionCoDa Arquitetura’s Moiré apartment in the Brazilian capital uses smart materials to create visual contrast and an artful welcome
-
Inspired by farmhouses, a Cunha residence unites cosy charm with contemporary Brazilian livingWhen designing this home in Cunha, upstate São Paulo, architect Roberto Brotero wanted the structure to become 'part of the mountains, without disappearing into them'
-
Arts institution Pivô breathes new life into neglected Lina Bo Bardi building in BahiaNon-profit cultural institution Pivô is reactivating a Lina Bo Bardi landmark in Salvador da Bahia in a bid to foster artistic dialogue and community engagement
-
Tropical gardens envelop this contemporary Brazilian home in São Paulo stateIn the suburbs of Itupeva, Serena House by architects Padovani acts as a countryside refuge from the rush of city living
-
Itapororoca House blends seamlessly with Brazil’s lush coastal landscapeDesigned by Bloco Arquitetos, Itapororoca House is a treetop residence in Bahia, Brazil, offering a large wrap-around veranda to invite nature in
-
A postmodernist home reborn: we tour the British embassy in BrazilWe tour the British Embassy in Brazil after its thorough renovation by Hersen Mendes Arquitetura, which breathes new life into a postmodernist structure within the country's famous modernist capital