Project: Leaf House
Architects: Mareines + Patalano Arquitetura
Location: Angra dos Reis, close to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Area: 8,600 sq ft
Photographs by: Leonardo Finotti
Leaf House by Mareines + Patalano Arquitetura In Brazil
A little beach with amazing blue water just outside of Rio de Janeiro is the land on which a little house with a flowering roof that isolates it from the sun like a big tropical banana leaf. Well, not so little, the Leaf House designed by Mareines + Patalano Arquitetura is quite a large residence that stretches over a surface of 8,600 square feet.
The house is built around interaction and connection between man and nature which you will notice through the many open air spaces that you’ll see in the pictures below. Some of these include verandas and open spaces between the rooms that replace the standard corridors which make this beach house an ideal place for social gatherings and steaming beach parties.
From the architects: “The roof acts as a big leaf that protects from the hot sun all the enclosed spaces of the house as the in-between open spaces, truly the most important ones. These in-between open spaces represent the essence of the design. They are the social areas, where the the owner of the house and his guests spend most of their time. The very generous heights of these spaces, wich varies from 3 to 9 metres, allow the SE trade winds from the sea to pass perfectly longitudinally trough the building, providindg natural ventilation and and passive cooling both to the enclosed and open spaces. We see it as low-tech ecoefficiency, where it has the greatest impact, the concept of the architectural design.”
The natural ventilation that helps to cool down this house is what makes it a low-tech yet eco-efficient residence which is what a home in the tropical areas needs to keep the environment comfortable.
The roof of this home is its most recognizable feature but it isn’t there just for the looks. Its unique shape collects rainwater that is later used in the house, not for drinking of course.
The inside and outside of this home are almost fused with the help of lots of sliding doors that let the sea breeze in.
The ground floor is surrounded by stunning landscapes while the curvy swimming pool sneaks into the house. It passes below the dining room where it turns into a pond with aquatic plants and fishes before reaching the rear veranda which is a resting space with five hammocks.
