stacked concrete + wooden volumes form pimont arquitetura’s ‘casa cacupé’ in brazil

pimont arquitetura has designed a private residence situated in the suburban low-density neighborhood of cacupé, within the city of florianópolis, in south brazil. that district is a short strip of land between the bay and the hills, occupied mainly by condos, ‘battling’ for maximum space and uninterrupted sea views. 

the totally opened floor plan – view from the bedroom through the courtyard to the kitchen
all images courtesy of pimont arquitetura

misalignment and shifting materials are the elements of composition

in order to preserve the landscape, the house was suspended, with the privileged position offering a great view of the north bay. on the underground level, the minimum area possible was covered, linking the house with the street, while housing a garage and other necessary technical areas. the ground level floats above the topography, allowing a high continuous opening for natural ventilation of the underground spaces. the majority of the ground floor area features a large terrace, covered by the upper suspended volume, from which the residents can access the large garden and the pool. 

the core of the house is the upper level, elevated four meters from the ground. it is a box with one side entirely opened to the bay view. the floor plan is totally open and integrated, connecting the bedroom, living room and kitchen, all in a single space. this area is opened to the amazing landscape to the west, while the service and closed areas, such as closet, bathroom, toilet, pantry and laundry area positioned along the east facade. 

view from the pool in the backyard

the west facade features an awning system which keeps the house protected from the sun, without blocking the view or natural ventilation. in the east facade, a composition of openings in the concrete wall connects the natural surroundings with the interior, while ensuring cross ventilation through the house. on the covering slab there are solar panels which produce 80% of the energy consumed in the house and shade the surface, protecting it from the heat. the slab also includes a system to collect rain water, which is filtered and stocked in the underground level, where a treatment equipment prepares it for common uses in the whole house. bioclimatic strategies were employed to obtain comfort and modern technologies were included to reuse natural resources.

the concrete box is suspended from the level below supported by thin metal columns

the suspended concrete box opens to the view of the bay exposing the integrated rooms inside

the balcony

the courtyard with its sliding glass roof

the concrete box

music room at the ground level

inside the concrete box the wooden coverings create the ambience

the view

stairs and platforms create the connections between indoor and outdoor spaces

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.