mms house by pascali semerdjian arquitetos decomposes on the top

brazilian practice pascali semerdjian arquitetos’s ‘mms house’ in são paulo is a four-story residence with a ‘collapsing’ façade — the top of the building is missing some bricks which creates a sense of decomposing. comprising numerous vast and bright spaces, each floor of the building corresponds to a specific use and is decorated with original pieces designed by famous brazilian architects.

with a vast program to be fulfilled, pascali semerdjian arquitetos house was built through a mixed structural system — reinforced concrete and metallic structure — as the client came to the studio with the intention of realizing a residence with simple solutions and fast execution. to do so, the architects divided the program into four floors that coincide with the division of the house: the underground level is configured as a service sector, the ground floor and the last floor as a sector for common areas, and the first floor as an intimate sector.

from the centralized implantation in the terrain and the determination of a central axis of vertical circulation, the architects conceived the spaces in an integrated way in order to stimulate the social interactions of the residents. aiming at better comfort, the team maximized natural light collection, ventilation and outdoor contact in all environments, which sometimes open onto the street at the height of the treetops, or onto an outdoor area with a tropical garden. the brick facade appears to decompose to the end of the building and, in contrast to the austerity of the brick, the accesses and openings are defined with colored steel sheet frames.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom