- Project: Zigzag House
- Architect: Architectare
- Location: Brazil, Petropolis
- Year: 2019
- Area: 377 m2
- Photography: Leonardo Finotti
In Petropolis, Brazil, Zigzag House by Architectare redefines affordable residential architecture with a modular system that balances practicality, warmth, and connection to nature. Designed for a young couple with two children, the home reflects the dream of building their first residence on a limited budget while ensuring flexibility for future growth.
Modular Concept and Layout
The house is organized into three distinct blocks—service, social, and intimate. Their intersections form squares that act as transitional spaces, one of which is a central winter garden that separates the private bedrooms from the living areas. This garden introduces greenery and natural light, creating a calm buffer zone while enhancing privacy.
At the junction of the service and social blocks, the roof extends to form a gourmet balcony. Equipped with a skylight, it connects directly to the pool terrace and dining room, creating a vibrant heart of the house where cooking, leisure, and social gatherings seamlessly converge.
Lightweight and Efficient Construction
To meet budget constraints and allow phased construction, Architectare adopted a lightweight metal structure. The single-story home avoids heavy slabs, instead using a raised floor supported on concrete footings, keeping the house elevated 35 cm above the ground—an important response to the site’s history of minor flooding.
The aluminum sandwich roofing ensured quick assembly, thermal comfort, and acoustic performance. By keeping the structure exposed, the architects highlighted its efficiency while achieving an architectural language of lightness and clarity.
Warm Interiors and Outdoor Integration
To counterbalance the industrial feel of the metal, the interiors were lined with peroba wood paneling across the sloping ceilings of the social and intimate blocks. This material adds warmth and a sense of home, contrasting with cost-effective drywall used in bathrooms and service areas.
Large sliding glass panels connect every room to the outdoors, transforming the bedrooms and living spaces into extensions of the garden. Planned future additions—such as sliding brises for shading and a rear pergola—will further extend the home’s adaptability and strengthen the indoor-outdoor dialogue.
A Family Home Rooted in Simplicity
Despite its modest budget, Zigzag House demonstrates that thoughtful design and modular planning can produce a family home that is both cost-effective and architecturally rich. Its zigzagging layout, integration of natural elements, and carefully chosen materials create a residence that is not only functional but deeply personal.
By focusing on modularity, efficiency, and flexibility, Architectare has created a home that grows with its family—proof that simplicity and affordability can coexist with architectural sophistication.
