- Project: Mata Modular House
- Architect: kikacamasmie+arq
- Location: Brazil, Porto Seguro
- Year: 2023
- Area: 378 m2
- Photography: Oka fotografia
A New Paradigm in Modular Timber Living
The Mata Modular House by kikacamasmie+arq redefines contemporary tropical living through an incisive focus on modularity, wood craftsmanship and sustainable strategy. Set deep in the forested terrain of Porto Seguro on Brazil’s Bahia coast, the house invites a new dialogue between prefabrication, climate responsiveness and site immersion. With a footprint of 378 m², it elegantly balances scale and lightness—proving that a large yet low-impact home is possible when modules, materials and landscape act in concert.
Site, Concept & Material Logic
The lush Atlantic-forest edge in Porto Seguro provides the contextual impetus: abundant natural wood, humid tropical air, frequent rainfall and lush vegetation. The design asks: how can a residence sit lightly, respond to climate, and use local craftsmanship? The answer lies in modular timber buildings. Three distinct modules—suite, kitchen and “free” (which may serve as living room, terrace or extension)—each sized at 4 × 8 m (32 m²) form the basic unit. These modules are prefabricated, allowing for rapid assembly, minimal on-site waste and efficient use of timber.
Eucalyptus pillars support beams and rafters; autoclaved pine slats form floors and ceilings; double-wall lateral panels of autoclaved pine 20 cm wide house plumbing and electrical runs while offering thermal and acoustic insulation. The roof, composed also of autoclaved pine boards, extends wide over eaves to shield from tropical sun and rain. The elevated floor brandishes the terrain with permeability underneath—preserving site drainage and vegetation rather than masking them.
Layout, Experience & Spatial Flow
Inside, the modules are arranged in a loose composition that emphasizes forest views, cross-ventilation and indoor-outdoor overlap. The front façade opens fully with timber-frame glazing, creating a visual sequence between interior living and exterior forest. The rear façade uses articulated timber shutters, enabling daylight control, privacy and ventilation. The modular kit-of-parts gives flexibility: the “free” module may become a lounge, guest wing or extended terrace, adapting over time as needs evolve—a reflection of sustainable adaptability.
Movement through the house becomes a choreographed experience: you step into the kitchen module, transition through the living module, relax in the suite module—all while the forest remains present. The double-wall construction embeds utilities so that interiors stay clean, the timber aesthetic remains pure, and the mechanics are invisibly integrated rather than imposing.
Sustainability & Craft-Centred Construction
Sustainability is built in, not bolted on. The timber structure, sourced locally, acts as both structure and finish. Prefabrication reduces waste, speeds construction, and lowers costs. Elevated flooring allows the terrain and under-floor ventilation to breathe. Wide eaves protect from solar gain and heavy tropical rainfall. The house is tuned to its climate: large operable glazing for cross-ventilation, double-timber walls for insulation, shading for solar control. Even interior furniture—kitchen cabinets, side-tables—are made from leftover timber from the modules, closing the loop of material use and craft.
In this way the Mata Modular House becomes a model for forest-edge living: minimal ground disturbance, high material integrity, modular adaptability and deep link between use and ecology.
Atmosphere, Materiality & Light
Timber interiors, smooth joinery, slender pillars and wide spans produce a serene spatial atmosphere. The texture of wood, the cadence of modules and the dappled forest light combine to produce architecture that feels both natural and refined. Morning light filters through the forest canopy into the modules; afternoon sun is tempered by deep eaves; night sees the modules glowing softly among the trees.
The material palette is unified—wood everywhere—creating coherence and a sense of calm. Because there is “just one material,” the architecture highlights variation of grain, joinery detail, light on surface, and ambient change across climate and time.
Significance & Reflection
Mata Modular House is significant because it points a way forward for tropical architecture: prefabrication + local timber + flexible modules + climate-responsive design. It shows that large-scale residential architecture need not mean heavy footprint or generic concrete boxes. Instead, it can mean thoughtfully assembled timber modules, modest footprint elevation, forest integration and adaptability for changing uses.
For practitioners focused on sustainable tropical housing, or on modular systems that respect craftsmanship and site, this project offers compelling lessons: design for modular repeat; design for timber structural logic; design for forest edge environment; and design for change over time.
In the Mata Modular House, kikacamasmie+arq have created not just a home, but a manifesto: modularity, timber, climate-and-site integration, and adaptability. The result is architecture that is both elegant and grounded, responsive and generous, refined and deeply embedded in its forest edge context.
It invites us to rethink what large houses can be in tropical settings—not oversized and hegemonic, but composed, light, respectful, and built with a sense of craft, ecology and future-proofing.
