A peninsula house in Brazil

In Nova Lima, in the south-central part of Brazil, Arquitetos Associados + BIRI designed a house that expands towards the garden and swimming pool, like a peninsula. The project was carried out in two phases, due to the interruption of the construction process at the time of the pandemic, and a concomitant change of ownership. The new purchaser decided to adapt the project to his needs while maintaining the original layout of the first phase: an L-shaped volume, composed of a two-storey body and a perpendicular one-storey body, closing towards the street and opening towards the garden, with the swimming pool as a natural continuation of the dwelling; living area is on the ground floor, while private rooms are located on the upper level. 

The second phase envisaged an extension of the one-storey body located to the south of the lot: while the ground floor remains the centre of the family's collective life, the floor above, enlarged, houses an office and a gym overlooking the garden alongside the bedrooms. The use of a steel structure in the extension has made it possible to create a fluid space, free of partitions, where light penetrates generously from the north, filtered by the screen of movable metal panels interrupting the continuity of the glass façade.
The expansion of the swimming pool, which borders a wooden terrace lying on the sloping hillside, multiplies the outdoor relaxation spaces.

A lexicon of rigorous geometries and outspoken natural materials gives the building a robust and minimalist yet cosy character, thanks to the contrasts between the concrete and steel structural shell, and the interior finishes of warm-toned wooden walls and ceilings.