- Project: Refúgio Rural
- Architect: Lucas Fernandes
- Location: Brazil, Itajobi, São Paulo
- Year: 2024
- Area: 140 m2
- Photography: Carolina Mossin
Conceived as a serene weekend retreat for a retired couple, Refúgio Rural transforms a modest countryside dwelling in Itajobi, São Paulo into a breathable, light-filled home that reconnects daily life with the landscape. The intervention by Lucas Fernandes Arquitetos balances preservation and renewal, pairing familiar rural typologies—deep veranda, ceramic-tile roof, timber structure—with contemporary comfort and social conviviality.
Setting & Intent
The project prioritizes natural light, cross ventilation, and tactile materials that foster a dialogue between memory and modern living. Without losing the simplicity of its origins, the house becomes a sanctuary for rest and gathering—calm, porous, and deeply attuned to the rhythms of the countryside.
Anchored by a generous veranda, the home mediates between shaded outdoor life and cool interior rooms. This transitional edge becomes the social heart—welcoming neighbors, extending meals, and framing long views across the garden.
Program & Reconfiguration
Originally, the residence comprised three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, pantry, and an external bathroom. The renovation reorganized these uses to support the couple’s slow-living routine. The kitchen, pantry, and laundry were expanded, while a new veranda with a gourmet area extends cooking and dining into the open air.
Private rooms were consolidated on one side, connected by a central hallway and a shared bathroom. The opposite wing now hosts an open-plan living–dining–kitchen sequence that flows directly to the veranda through large openings. A pass-through window links the interior kitchen to the outdoor barbecue, ensuring smooth communication during gatherings.
Material Language
A sober, tactile palette defines the renovation: wood, demolition brick, burnished concrete, glass, slate, and rough plaster. Timber appears in doors, windows, and ceilings; demolition brick shapes the wood-fired oven, island base, and structural portals; and concrete floors deliver visual continuity and low-maintenance durability. Glass improves transparency and daylight, while select areas of rough plaster were preserved to honor the home’s original texture.
The materiality embraces rusticity by intention—durable, honest, and tuned to the rural context. The combination of tactile surfaces and simple lines evokes continuity with the surrounding agricultural landscape while subtly upgrading comfort.
Spaces & Everyday Rituals
- Outdoor Kitchen: Slate counters, a fabric-skirt base, clay vessels, and a timber ceiling encourage slow cooking and unhurried conversation.
- Dining Room: A glass top rests on a farm-sourced trunk, keeping the sculptural timber base visible from every angle; woven chairs and a lace textile reinterpret local craft.
- Bedrooms: Heirloom beds and dressers remain central, with linen bedding and pine ceilings adding warmth and visual calm.
“É uma casa de estilo rústico que combina com o ambiente rural, arejada e aconchegante — um lugar para descansar e recarregar, sentindo a energia positiva da natureza.” — Luis Fernandes de Jesus, professor
Climate Comfort & Light
Cross-breezes, shaded perimeters, and breathable finishes mitigate summer heat while preserving year-round comfort. Enlarged openings brighten the interior and connect routines—morning coffee under the veranda, long weekend lunches in the gourmet area, and quiet evenings in the bedrooms framed by timber and linen.
Challenges & Solutions
Preserve essence, add comfort: The façade language, timber openings, and rough plaster were maintained while the plan was adapted for contemporary use.
Integrate social life: Kitchen, dining, and veranda interlock via the barbecue island and pass-through window to create a fluid social core.
Celebrate provenance: Most furniture and objects are family pieces; the design curates rather than replaces, sustaining emotional continuity across generations.
