Project: Ardósia House
Architects: Architectare
Location: Itaipava, Brazil
Area: 5,145 sf
Photographs by: Leonardo Finotti
Ardósia House by Architectare
This summer house prioritizes privacy with a clever split-level design. Social areas with stunning views are perched above, while the resident’s living areas are nestled discreetly below ground. Sliding doors on the upper floor create a flexible space, transforming from a formal dining room to a casual poolside hangout. Warm brick and wood interiors contrast the cool stone exterior, offering a cozy feel. This unique design caters to both entertaining and relaxation, creating a perfect summer escape.
Designed to be a summer house, it was the clients’ wish that all social and service activities of the house were isolated from the intimate area. Therefore, the construction was sectorized so that visitors only had access to the ground floor while the residents and guests could stay on the lower floor without being disturbed.
As the house is located on a very steep terrain, with access from the top, a cut was made in the terrain for a better implementation of the program and privacy from the street, so that a small hillock could isolate the street and the roof of the lower floor could serve as ground for the ground floor, expanding the area of the plateau generated by the cut.
The choice of this approach also contributed to the house having a much smaller and more interesting apparent volume, as half of the construction could be buried. The infinity pool at the end of the building functions as protection without the need for a guardrail obstructing the view.
Upon entering the social area of the land, the house’s vocation to receive guests is immediately evident. The main volume clad in slate plates and with a V-shaped plan dominates the lawn and welcomes the guests who are directed through one of its many openings by a gentle staircase that turns into a bridge, crossing the reflecting pool and reaching the entrance hall, from where one can access the staircase to the lower floor and the other leisure areas of the house. To the left are the game rooms with a bar and TV lounge. To the right, there are the dining room, kitchens, gym, and sauna, which is cantilevered at the end of the house’s body, taking full advantage of the view.
Being a summer house, this entire volume was designed to function as a large balcony, opening completely to the front yard and the view. The uses are also not so rigid and can vary according to the arrangement of the door games. For example, the dining room can be a formal dining room when the doors are closed or function as a porch for the pool when the doors to the balcony and kitchen are open. The kitchen itself can have various configurations, such as being completely isolated from the living room when the doors are closed or function as an open gourmet kitchen, still allowing the back part to be isolated or not, depending on whether there are employees or mess.
To soften the impact of light and the transition from inside to outside, pergolas were designed from end to end on the north and northwest facade, in addition to cuts in the main volume, where the garden enters bringing the outside into the environments.
To contrast with the coldness of the stone used on the exterior, the entire interior is clad in brick and pine wood, making the spaces warmer and more welcoming. And to prevent the interior from being too dark, a light apicoated granite floor was used.
The lower floor, built directly on the ground, one level below and completely out of alignment with the ground floor, accommodates 4 suites with direct access to the garden, as well as a wine cellar and a section of the service block, which operates in a discreet two-story volume with an independent entrance attached to the main body clad in slate.
