Located in Porto Feliz, Sao Paulo, Brazil where the climate is hot almost every day of the year, the Lee House by Studio MK27 – Marcio Kogan + Eduardo Glycerio – maximizes heat release with large glass walls that slide and stack out of the way, optimizing a passive heat release system with cross ventilation. The one storey house has been designed long and narrow so that each room can benefit from cross ventilation.
The single volume structure also uses sliding and stacking wooden Muxarabis panels within the private rooms of the house for privacy while still offering the passive heat release.
The same concrete floor is used both inside the social zone and the outdoor terrace so that only the embedded glass panel track defines the difference between indoor and outdoor zones.
The concrete terrace gives way to a wood pool deck exposed to the sky above and surrounded by a stonewall projecting out from the sloped yard which is up lit in the evening to highlight the vegetation.
As darkness falls, the landscape lighting is replaced with LEDs within the pool itself.
Additional uplighting is placed along the wooden Muxarabis panels to help retain the privacy of the bedrooms within.
With the wooden Muxarabis panels closed the social zone takes on a bridged aesthetic.
A suspended fireplace, centrally located within the living area offers the same feel as an outdoor fire pit without actually being outdoors.
From a distance the fireplace flue blends with the foliage on the other side of the home.
The other side of the home is lush with vegetation.
Even when the Muxarabis panels are open the foliage of the varying height vegetation offers privacy for this side of the house.
The vegetation also offers privacy to the pool in the backyard from the homes in the distance.
The foliage also offers much needed shade.
A grass grouted rock patio creates an even lusher courtyard.
Inside Lee House the social zone is laid out with a bar on one side of the living room and the dining room then kitchen on the other.
With the pool directly off of the living room, Studio MK27 has created one continuous indoor / outdoor social zone.
Corridors are created between the stackable glass walls and the stackable Muxarabis panels.
At night the corridors are lit with floor embedded LEDs.
During the day the LEDs are supplemented with sunlight.
Past the indoor/outdoor zones the home continues with a closed, private facade covered in white mortar.
An indoor gym is contained within the private section of Lee House but even here the Muxarabis panels are used to create interior walls.
Outside the gym a private sauna area is tucked into the corner of the building.
A sauna is also located off of the gym.
How awesome is it to have your own personal gym within easy reach of your living room?
The gym is located on one end of the home while the main entrance is on the other.
Studio MK27
Photography by FG+SG – Fernando Guerra
