Project: Cigarra House
Architects: FGMF
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Area: 8,417 sf
Year: 2019
Photographs by: Pedro Mascaro
FGMF has designed the Cigarra House, a stunning contemporary dwelling divided in 3 main blocks. It is located in Sao Paulo, Brazil and offers nearly 8,500 square feet of contemporary living spaces. Of course, we’ve already showcased some of this studio’s previous works, so make sure you pay them a visit, you will love them. They’ve appeared on our Architecture Art Designs with the Botucatu House project, the Cafezal House project, the Mirante House project and the Grid House project.
Sitting on a sloping plot at the edge of a protected green area, the house interferes in the landscape in two radically different approaches, divided in 3 main blocks.
Looking from the street, the lower part seems to ‘sprout’ from the soil: an artificial rock rises from the earth and reveals itself as the plot tilts down towards the woods. Eventually, the massive block detaches from the ground in the opposite side, emphasizing its form. This partially underground volume contains mainly the bed rooms and spaces such as family room, laundry and garage. Providing extra light and ventilation, a patio is carved in its core: the trees in this small garden breach the solidness and show a vertical connection to the spaces above. In contrast to this hard and heavy base, two other blocks seem to lightly land on it.
The larger one creates a bridge through which visitors enter the house, and transforms itself into a surprising cantilever that reaches the tree tops in the other end. It contains the main social areas such as living and dinner rooms and kitchen. Its left side generously opens to a deck on top of the lower block, stretching the living room into a magnificent solarium with swimming pool that overlooks the woods and beyond. The smaller block sits on the edge of the pool and provides shade for a table and an open kitchen with barbecue and pizza oven. These light volumes in the upper floor are made of steel and glass, with louvers and green walls that naturally control the house temperature. The simple shapes and its relation to the ground and view bring up the house’s main concept: more than being inspired by this particular site, it tries to be a part of it.
-FGMF
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