This residence located in Nova Lima, Brazil,surprises with its extreme architecture. This solution is dictated on the one side by the steep slope of the site and on the other by the desire to reduce the interference of the building mass in the existing topography. By placing the ground floor 7 meters below street level and cantilevering most of the upper volumes, Anastasia Arquitectos have managed to minimize the physical impact of the building and to maximize exposure to nature. This approach allows the pedestrians to have beautiful forest views from the street while preserving privacy for the occupants of the villa. The main openings and glazed surfaces of the house are oriented eastwards, that is opposite to the street direction. This orientation serves two purposes, out of which we already mentioned privacy. The second purpose has a more sustainable meaning, notably the fact that no artificial heating or cooling systems are required. Thanks to the ideal climate with averages of 28 Celsius in summer and 16 Celsius in winter, together with the exposure of the windows and the solar panels placed on the roof, the house is energy efficient. The 650 square meter livable surface is distributed on three levels. The ground level and one that anchors the house into the slope serves as leisure space, with sauna, jacuzzi and wine cellar. The middle floor is dedicated to the living area, while the upper floor houses the bedrooms and other private activities of the house.
The living room is located in the most cantilevered protrusion of the house, suspended over the 30 degrees slope. The fully glazed corner of this space offers beautiful views on the forest, together with the extreme feeling of being suspended between earth and sky.
The inside walls are painted white, contrasting with the strong color of the facades. The contemporary style interior design favors fabrics and dark essence woods.
The dining room shares the same open space with the living room and the kitchen. It also makes the transition to the terrace and the pool area, also situated on this floor.
The infinity pool is also cantilevered above the slope and is protected on the two free sides by a glass balustrade. The transparency of the balustrade allows for infinity views on the landscape while offering physical security.
The extremity of the design is emphasized by the sharpness of the angles. The terracotta color of the masonry has been chosen for maintenance reasons, due to the presence of red iron ore dust into the soil.
The base of the house which anchors the building into the site keeps the raw concrete texture. The contrast between the two materials and colors enhances the strong profile of the house, making it an extreme urban presence.
