Project: House in Mantiqueira
Architects: Una Arquitetos
Location: Sao Bento do Sapucai, Brazil
Area: 5,866 sf
Photographs by: Nelson Kon
House in Mantiqueira by Una Arquitetos
Una Arquitetos has designed the House in Mantiqueira – a luxurious contemporary dwelling built on top of a 300 mile mountain range. In total, it offers just under 6,000 square feet of contemporary living spaces across two levels. The design of this residence maintains a strong connection to the natural surroundings which in turn provide privacy for its residents.
The house is built on top of Mantiqueira, a 500 km mountain range that crosses the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
Its site is almost totally surrounded by woods, placed in an existing glade, gently sloping and facing a stream.
Project’s main intention is to establish multiple dialogues with the site and its many views across the uneven and astonishing landscape.
A concrete shear wall construction, conforming the ground floor level, aimed to accommodate itself to the land slope. It defines a platform, detaching from the upper bound, rising, and folding itself in order to create a patio, which connects two bedrooms, living and dining room, kitchen and storage area.
Perpendicular and suspended over the structure below, a second volume accommodates two bedrooms at each end and a studio with a terrace, each with different openings orientations. The wagon metallic structure, supported by two concrete pillars, covers a 12 meters span above the patio, both rooms corresponding to the structure cantilever. It was brought to the ground in small pieces, easily assembled and welded on the ground and finally suspended by crane (in exact 15 minutes), avoiding undesirable temporary structures and impacts on the site.
Between the platform and the suspended wagon, was designed a open terrace deck, with aquatic gardens and a swimming-pool. This level is also the same as the nearest treetops. Here, as well as at several others points of the house, spaces were created within their dialogue with the natural context.
