- Project: MLA House
- Architect: Jacobsen Arquitetura
- Location: Brazil, Jardins, São Paulo, State of São Paulo
- Year: 2016
- Area: 1490 m2
- Photography: Leonardo Finotti
A Modern Urban Sanctuary
Nestled in the upscale Jardins neighborhood of São Paulo, MLA House expresses a refined balance between urban presence and tropical openness. Designed for lightness, warmth, and visual permeability, the home unfolds as a single elongated volume that opens fully toward its landscaped garden—a gesture that transforms the residence from a container of rooms into a living spatial continuum.
Concept & Volumetric Strategy
The brief was clear: a home that feels cozy yet open, light but full of shading, modern yet grounded in natural materials. To meet these aspirations, Jacobsen Arquitetura conceived the dwelling as a linear prism positioned along one side of the plot. One long façade is rendered transparent, blurring the boundary between interior and garden, while the other side remains more introverted, responding to context and privacy.
At the heart of the volume sits a double-height living and dining room, that acts as both spatial anchor and visual spine. Adjacent to this core is an indoor garden that weaves into the circulation, softening transitions between different zones of the house. Bedrooms occupy the two ends of the volume, connected by a walkway that bridges above the double-height space, giving inhabitants views, daylight, and spatial layering.
Site, Orientation & Landscape
To maximize privacy, daylight, and nature views, the pool and terrace were located at the rear, opening from the living spaces to the garden. Generous roof overhangs, a slender structural frame, and a judicious selection of wood and stone finishes support the dual goals of visual openness and climatic control.
Particularly noteworthy are the wood slats used in ceilings, window shutters, and furniture—rich local timbers that temper the concrete and glass with warmth, tactility, and subtle pattern. The architecture’s angular language—favoring rectilinearity over curves—reinforces its elegantly modern character.
Light, Shadow & Material Poetics
MLA House is a choreography of light and shadow. The transparent façade invites daylight deep into the interior, while overhangs and shading devices moderate solar gain. The indoor garden gap allows filtered light to animate circulation zones. Meanwhile, the contrast of warm wood surfaces against cool stone and glass delivers a tactile richness that heightens the spatial experience.
The visual program is also thoughtfully layered: from the street, the house retains a sense of enclosure and calm, yet the geometry slowly dissolves toward the garden, revealing its openness and connection to the exterior.
Sustainability & Performance
Though not overtly labeled a “green house,” MLA House employs several passive strategies:
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Overhangs and shading reduce overheating
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Cross-ventilation is encouraged via open façades
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Local wood and stone minimize embodied energy and integrate with the environment
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The spatial layout keeps social spaces facing gardens, maximizing daylight while shielding private zones
In this way, sustainability is embedded in architectural logic rather than appended as an afterthought.
Conclusion
MLA House is an elegant demonstration of how architecture can balance urban restraint and tropical generosity. With its linear volume, double-height core, material discipline, and spatial fluidity, Jacobsen Arquitetura has created a home that feels both protected and expansive.
It is not simply a house in São Paulo—it is an urban refuge, drawing nature inward and giving back light, movement, and architectural calm to its inhabitants.
