Pacaembu House

The project is organized between two streets, whose slope is 7 meters apart. The terrain slope is solved by connecting the levels by stairs and elevator. This topographical situation made it possible to take advantage of the view of the residential and wooded neighborhood as a starting point for the layout of the program. On the ground floor are the living room, dining room, space for a fireplace and cigar store - the social areas being integrated into the veranda with the swimming pool; on a lower level, there is the gourmet area, which is connected to the garden and the fish pond; and on the upper level, there are bedrooms and a family room. In the swimming pool area, illuminated planes covered by glass make up the floor, announcing through transparency what happens underground. There, a corridor surrounded by cyclopean concrete walls, molded in loco with stones, gains natural light through strategically placed skylights. Access is possible by a staircase located in the living and dining area, which gives access to the tunnel and has as its final destination the gourmet space and garden with a lake. The finishes and coatings have a neutral palette with colors of sand variation. The combination of cast-in-place concrete and wood stands out as a design element. The cyclopean concrete, seen on the façade and on the internal coatings, was molded in loco with stones, a challenge in the execution of the project, since several prototypes were necessary until, finally, reaching the ideal pigmentation and the allocation of the stones, placed one by one, like rubber stamps on cement. As for the wood used in the execution of the façade’s overhead doors, dueto the large overhang, they demanded equal attention during execution, in order to guarantee a broad look of the concrete front. Despite being a large house in terms of area, it does not seem grandiose due to its implantation in the land and its surrounding landscaping, which resembles a native forest. The lighting is indirect, seeking to have as few points as possible on the ceiling, and the entrance of natural light, quite abundant. The light and shadow strategy is noticed right at the double-height entrance, where a huge angled cutout in the ceiling creates a scenographic effect due to the penetration of the sun’s rays. The interior project had great support and participation from the clients. It is made of elements in tones similar to the rustic stone and wood finishes, but marked by green and orange marble details. The composition of themateriality of the furniture is made with a mix of natural linen, leather, suede, bouclé-type cotton fabrics and wool - all in sober colors, leaving the highlight for some spots of natural stone in terracotta tone, and some pieces in dark green tone.