UNA arquitetos designs são paulo 239 house with modernist influences

brazil-based studio UNA arquitetos positioned ‘239 house’ in são paulo around a 50-year old ‘jabuticabeira’ fruit tree, which grew from the center of the plot. the organization of the house generates two wings and a central courtyard onto which each ground level room opens. these rooms include a porch, living room, dining room, kitchen, study room and bedroom. while the two wings face this courtyard, they simultaneously face each other, resulting in the effect of two distinct structures. morning sunlight bathes the children bedrooms and hits the folded concrete façade wall which defines the entrance of the house.

all images by nelson kon

UNA arquitetos took advantage of the lush foliage of the site in the design of the 239 house. such large trees as the tipuanas, jerivás, palmeiras and pitangueiras remain along the edges of the original plot. the lush greenery is expressed on the interior of the house through double-height glazing which interrupts the heavy materiality of the concrete exterior walls. to benefit from the canopy of treetops, along with views of the city, a swimming pool and terrace occupy the roof.

many architectural elements of the project serve to reference the work of 20th century precedents, especially of influential modernist architects. while the surrounded patio recalls that of muuratsalo, the experimental house of alvar aalto, the narrow rooftop swimming pool echoes OMA’s villa dall’ava. a reference to le corbusier’s maison jaoul, UNA arquitetos made use of wooden framed apertures of irregular dimensions along with large areas of wood to disrupt the stone materiality. the dining room, open to all sides, was designed in remembrance of breuer’s little-known houses in cape cod.

project info:

site: são paulo

project
 year: 2012


architecture: cristiane muniz, fábio valentim, fernanda barbara, fernando viégas (authors) joaquin gak, henrique te winkel, marcos bresser, otávio filho, pedro ivo, rodrigo carvalho pereira (collaborators)

construction: antonio nogueira


structure: cia de projetos

installations: pessoa e zamaro

waterproofing: proassp

framing and woodworking: marcenaria da fazenda

lightning design: ricardo heder


landscaping: soma arquitetos