- Project: Canopy House
- Architect: Studio MK27
- Location: Brazil, Prainha Branca, Guarujá, São Paulo
- Year: 2023
- Area: 785 m2
- Photography: Fernando Guerra / FG+SG
A House in the Trees
Canopy House is a forest retreat that barely touches the ground. Elevated on slender columns above the Atlantic Forest canopy, the residence reads as a calm white prism drifting among treetops. Instead of carving into the steep site, the house floats over it—letting wind, birdsong, and filtered light become everyday companions.
Site & Strategy
-
Steep terrain, minimal footprint: The structure perches on stilts to preserve native vegetation and reduce ground impact.
-
Outdoor-first circulation: Routes between social spaces and bedrooms happen through open air—no interior corridors—so the climate and soundscape remain present in every transition.
-
Terraces as rooms: Deep overhangs and shaded verandas create microclimates, extending living outward while protecting from tropical sun and rain.
Program & Layout
-
Top level (living deck): A panoramic terrace with pool and a partially enclosed living/dining core. Openable glass allows the entire level to breathe like a pavilion.
-
Middle level (private wing): A row of five bedrooms plus a TV room, all opening to a continuous balcony strung with hammocks—this balcony doubles as the main circulation.
-
Ground level (light touch): Services and storage, plus an al-fresco lounge sheltered beneath the hovering volume.
-
Vertical link: A sculptural spiral stair threads the levels, encouraging a slow, sensory climb through shade and dappled light.
Envelope, Materiality & Craft
-
White concrete + timber + stone: A restrained palette—smooth white concrete slabs, South-American pine, and basalt stone—keeps the prism crisp while interiors remain warm.
-
Custom breeze blocks: A long cobogó wall filters light and ventilates the bedroom level, casting animated shadows that track the sun.
-
Joinery as architecture: Slender timber frames and built-ins thin the boundary between room and landscape, emphasizing horizontality and calm proportions.
Interior Atmosphere
The interiors celebrate Brazilian design: iconic and contemporary pieces in natural fibers, leather, and hardwoods; straw pendants and handcrafted objects; soft textiles layered over cool stone floors. Shelving, benches, and dining elements are tailored to the house’s rhythm so furniture feels embedded in the architecture rather than placed inside it.
Climate, Comfort & Performance
-
Passive cooling: Cross-ventilation via full-height sliders and the cobogó wall; shaded terraces temper heat gain and allow doors to remain open.
-
Thermal mass & porosity: Concrete slabs stabilize temperature; large openings and covered outdoor rooms encourage day-to-day living in the breeze.
-
Low ground disturbance: Elevation on columns preserves site hydrology and root systems while simplifying maintenance below the house.
Landscape & Views
At canopy height, the horizon appears between crowns of trees—with glimpses of the sea beyond. Planting is deliberately quiet around the house so the forest remains the protagonist. From the living deck, you look through foliage rather than over it; at night, reflections from the pool and soft perimeter lighting return the focus to leaves and sky.
Canopy House moves the contemporary tropical villa beyond the glass-box cliché. By thickening shade and thinning enclosure, it composes a life lived in thresholds—porches, balconies, stairs, and breeze-washed rooms—where the forest isn’t a view but the medium of the architecture.
