Neblina House in Brazil designed by FGMF

Modern house on multiple levels. A huge pool stands next to one part of the house and floor-to-ceiling windows cover the entire wall. Behind it, the steps lead to the other part of the house, which has the same design, with windows covering the entire wall. — Neblina House by São Paulo based architects FGMF is set comfortably in the Brazilian countryside. Photography: Estevam Trabbold

(Image credit: Estevam Trabbold)

The question of how architecture should respond to the environment and climate may never be definitively answered, but the latest project from São Paulo-based firm FGMF Architetos is an absorbing case study in just how sophisticated the dialogue has become.

Set on a long wide plot in a quiet street in São Paulo state’s Itatiba municipality, the all-white street façade of Neblina House gives little away, save the impression of several cubes framed by low-hanging foliage.

Step through the entrance, however, and the space unfolds a sequence of Tetris-like volumes filled with an airy lightness that, these days, seems to be a de rigueur hallmark of Brazilian architects. The brief from the clients – an entrepreneur couple in the steel business – was for a private four-bedroom house that maximised the views of the garden and countryside.

The pool house with two walls that are completely open, due to the glass wall that retracts. — *The house has its own independent pool house. Photography: Estevam Trabbold*

The architect’s first response was to orient the house along the north-south axis, so the architecture would shade the south-facing open-plan living spaces from the heat that suffuses the region for the better part of the year. A capacious 95sq m swimming pool is set further down the sloping land to ensure that the main house casts no shadows onto it, especially during the short winters.

According to lead architect Fernando Forte, the topography of the site presented a challenge when it came to the layout of the internal rooms. The final iteration of the design involved cascading the bedrooms and corridors down a series of shallow terraces, ending finally at the pool.

Forte achieved privacy from the street by inserting a gap between the entrance and the living room, whilst allowing the slope of the land, the hallway, garage and kitchen to break the direct sightline and, so, shield the living room. ‘The plasticity created by the white volumes also contrasts against the landscape design,’ Forte adds. ‘The visitor experiences a totally different ambience from what it is seen from the street.’

House view from the pool area. At the bottom is the pool, from which we arrive at the main house via wide steps. The main house features an all-glass first floor, with columns supporting the second floor, which has multiple rooms with curtains drawn over the windows that cover the entire wall. — The architects made sure the house is orientated so that it makes the most of natural sunlight year-round. *Photography: Estevam Trabbold*

House view from the edge of the property. At the bottom is the pool, from which we arrive at the main house via wide steps. The main house features an all-glass first floor, with columns supporting the second floor, which has multiple rooms with curtains drawn over the windows that cover the entire wall. — A swimming pool is set a few steps below the main house. *Photography: Estevam Trabbold*

Interior view of the lounge room. Thin white columns support the ceiling. A large grey sofa and navy blue and gray armchairs are turned toward all glass walls, which provide a view of the beautiful nature surrounding the house. — Inside, slim columns and glazed openings make sure the views towards the nature outside remain unobstructed. *Photography: Rafaela Netto*

View of the kitchen. Countertops go all around the kitchen, continuing to the kitchen island with high metal chairs in orange. The walls are grey concrete, with white tiles and kitchen cabinets. The fridge is to the left. — A gap between the entrance and the main living spaces secures the owners’ privacy. *Photography: Rafaela Netto*

View of exterior of the house at night. The lights are on and we can see through the all-glass walls on the first floor. — The house consists of a balanced composition of white cubic volumes. *Photography: Estevam Trabbold*

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the FGMF website

Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.