Set on steep terrain and lifted high above the ground, a treetop home is a sensitive response to its client’s connection to the area. Located in Guarujá, São Paulo, a coastal city and island on the Atlantic coast, the residence, titled ES House, feels like a contemporary interpretation of a treehouse - and it is a project designed by Brazilian studio Jacobson Arquitectura.
Discover a treetop home in Upstate São Paulo
‘We wanted the house to emerge from the landscape, following the natural slope and preserving as much of the existing forest as possible,’ explains the studio's partner Paulo Jacobsen. ‘Every design decision, from the split-level organisation to the suspended structural system, was guided by the ambition to create a home that feels inseparable from its surroundings and frames the sea and the horizon as constant companions.’
The design aimed to make the resident feel immersed in the landscape. To begin, the architects created a layout which unfolded as visitors entered. This was achieved by somewhat camouflaging the residence by preserving the surrounding vegetation, while also planting new trees – which also reinforces the connection between architecture and landscape.
Visitors can access the building via street level. However, it is the roof that welcomes people, who will see a garden with a fire pit and wooden deck on it as they arrive. Down the first flight of stairs and past the reflecting pool and another garden, it opens up to a double-height mezzanine that houses the living space.
For Jacobsen, this is the most remarkable moment: ‘When you stand on the mezzanine of the main social level, where the checkered Glulam roof and double-height glass panels open completely toward the horizon and the sea, it is such an interesting spatial experience. It feels as if the ocean is a continuation of the house.’
The bedrooms are found on the lower floor, which is the same level as the treetops, while further down is a deck area for contemplation and meditation. Merging the house with the sloped terrain wasn’t an easy task, and developing a structural solution that would respond to the site's steep terrain while minimising its environmental impact was at the forefront of the architects’ plan. The studio settled on a dendriform structure.
‘This allows the main volume to be supported at only two points, reducing contact with the ground, preserving existing vegetation, and maintaining uninterrupted views of the sea,’ explains Jacobsen. ‘Achieving this balance between complex engineering, environmental sensitivity, and spatial quality required close collaboration throughout the design process.’
ES House is a treetop home designed to be discovered, where elements unfold as you journey through it. Says the architect: ‘The intention is to create a sense of calm and refuge, with the architecture revealing itself slowly and encouraging people to connect with the landscape. By the time they reach the main living spaces, the openness toward the sea, the warmth of the natural materials, and the surrounding forest should bring out both a feeling of serenity and a sense of belonging to the place.’
