Discover The Duality Of This Striking Brazilian Home

Settled on a steep slope in São Roque, Brazil, Casa 258 conveys a dual narrative between shadow and light, forest and valley. On one side, the glowing façade sits open to the sunset and valley below; on the other, the house is enveloped by the soft shade of the surrounding forest.

Pedro Cornetta, founder of Cornetta Arquitetura, carefully chose the location of this house to celebrate the core principle of the project: to integrate its construction with the surroundings, enabling the house to merge with its environment. Casa 258’s dual condition created a volumetric challenge that ultimately defined the project’s architectural language. Built into the terrain, the house appears to be single-story; however, the street view reveals two levels.

Cornetta Arquitetura Plants Casa 258 In Nature

Cornetta says the design draws inspiration from the Atlantic Forest and striking environment of native Brazil. “Architecturally, the project integrates a raw materiality—centered on exposed concrete­—that evokes Latin American modernism, combined with more contemporary elements such as the minimalist structural steel profiles.” 

This steel structure is critical to achieving a visually light construction, accounting for large spans and broad glass openings, which connect the interior spaces to both sides of the terrain. The lower floor is composed entirely of exposed concrete and rough stone, anchoring the home into the steep slope. The main structure of the house is an explosion of artisanal style delicately balancing the steel structure with charred wood panels.

Embracing São Roque’s Natural Landscape

The charred wood panels, created using the Shou Sugi Ban technique, convey an alluring narrative which is in contrast with the light tones of the floor and ceilings, both made of Tauari wood. “We were seeking a material that could also create a bond with the surrounding without introducing visual noise.” Cornetta explains. “The charred pine naturally emerged as the right solution, as it brings together all of these aspects.”

The resulting space combines precision with sensitivity, and an integration to its surrounding landscape. Its silent elegance is displayed in its dual composition, which is decidedly at one with nature.