This minimalist residence on the outskirts of São Paulo by Studio MK27 offers residents a variety of enclosed and open spaces beneath an imposing, grassy concrete roof.
Completed in February 2018, the longitudinal residence is called Casa Planar because of the expansive surface that defines the roof.
"Planar House is a radical exercise in horizontality, an aspect commonly explored in the projects of the study," said the local study MK27 in a description of the project.
In some areas, the thick slab rests directly on a grid of cruciform columns, while in others it rests on supporting walls. However, there are no support beams visible throughout the house.
"This type of insertion in the plot required care and attention with the design of the roof, which is the fifth facade of the building", said the architects.
Aerial photographs of the project show vegetation, skylights and solar panels that cover the roof.
The main entrance to the house from the north, on the narrow side of the long rectangular plane. An opening in a curve, made of separate bricks, leads to an entrance garden.
Inside, two volumes make up the programmed spaces of the 1,000 square meter residence. Both are oriented from north to south and run parallel to each other.
The first contains service spaces, such as a children's playroom, the kitchen and a gym at home. The other consists of five one-bedroom suites, arranged in a single row facing the sloping landscape.
"The living rooms are located at the extremities and can be opened or closed completely with sliding glass doors, transforming the whole house into a terrace," said Studio MK27.
A brick wall, which is sometimes concave and sometimes convex, snakes through the building and contrasts with the orthogonal design.
"Around the rigid formal distribution, there is a vertical winding wall made of bricks arranged in solid and empty," the study said. "Paradoxically, it defines the different relationships between internal and external spaces."
At the southern end of the residence, a few steps lead from the living room to a swimming pool. The interiors have a limited palette of materials that includes wood and concrete.
The firm, led by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, has completed a multitude of projects around the world. They include an exuberant property in Miami with its own lagoon and a residence in Brasilia that is inspired by the modernist heritage of the city.
The photograph is by Fernando Guerra.
