MA House

The MA residence was designed for a young couple who already owned a house created by our office, but who was looking for their second home. The new family house would be built on a larger plot, and it should be able to accommodate an expanded needs program due to the arrival of the children.

The project was carried out in one of the noblest areas of São Paulo, on a corner lot whose urban conditions imposed great setbacks. The geometry of the lot soon made us realize the possible suitability of an implantation in an “L” shape on the land, capable of accommodating the desired area in a building consisting of two floors and the basement. In this way, we were able to create a large free area for the garden, the terrace and the pool, in order to enjoy the sunniest possible orientation.

We developed the idea of generating different façades, with the aim to create a more organic composition that would allow greater integration between external and internal spaces. For this reason, we sought to explore asymmetric slopes in the roof, adopting ridges at different points in the plant. Thus, we created a type of folding based on the notion of the origami, a traditional Japanese technique.

The gentle slopes designed for the roof were highlighted by zinc brises, supported by the extension of the eaves referring to the upper and lower floors. The adoption of wooden lattice panels gives privacy and transparency to the bedrooms, located on the first floor. The visual connection with the leisure areas and the garden contributes to the pleasant ambience of the spaces intended for rest.

The social and leisure areas are located on the ground floor, which completely opens to the garden and to the pool, harmoniously integrating with the living room, the dining room, and the gourmet kitchen. With regard of the materials, we can point out that the palette chosen for the project took advantage of the soft contrast established between the Freijó wood ceiling, the gray travertine marble floors and the white walls, which serve as a background for the exhibition of an extensive collection of contemporary art.

The main points of the basement are the presence of a large gym and a notable wine cellar, with wooden flooring. Laundry, service rooms and technical areas are also located in the basement, under the construction´s projection, to guarantee the maximum occupancy allowed for the lot.