TETRO Arquitetura took advantage of the action of looking up to create the concept: of looking at the upward slope and looking toward the top of the trees. Thanks to this, they elevate the house above the ground, and the inhabitants carry out their daily experiences among the treetops.
The house has different volumes that adapt to a natural route through the rooms, which are combined with large windows to enjoy the views. The outdoor patios, together with the pool, serve as a disconnection from day to day, maintaining the connection with nature.
Açucena House by TETRO Arquitetura. Photograph by Jomar Bragança.
Açucena House by TETRO Arquitetura. Photograph by Jomar Bragança.
Description of project by TETRO Arquitetura
A place immersed in lush Atlantic Rainforest nature. A terrain filled with large leafy trees, foliage, shrubs, birds, and wild animals. A challenging topography with a steep slope, characteristic of the Nova Lima region in Minas Gerais. This is the place where Casa Açucena is inserted.
The project is a response to a sensitive reading of the place. In the first contact with this terrain, it is already evident the need to maintain the natural characteristics. The act of looking upwards, from the ground to the canopy of trees, elevated up to fifteen meters above ground level, was decisive for the creation of the concept. How to build in a place with such a steep topography, while maintaining the original nature? How to give the residents the daily experience of looking up and seeing the sky through the treetops. These were the questions that guided all design decisions.
The initial understanding that architecture should mold to the terrain, and not the other way around, was the starting point. The house rises above the ground and the animal and plant life develops underneath. The program shapes itself by occupying the empty spaces between the trees. No trees are removed. The topography is not changed. Art and Nature in perfect harmony. From this point on, no choice or design decision was made by the taste or will of the architect. Everything is a response and is intended to reinforce a concept.
