-
Architects: Cité Arquitetura
- Area: 433 m²
- Year: 2021
-
Photographs:Dani Leite, Mateus Fragoso e Celso Rayol
-
Lead Architects: Celso Rayol, Fernando Costa, Mauro Nogueira
Text description provided by the architects. Rio de Janeiro, 2023 - Located above the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, in the southern zone of the city, Casa Terra has its architecture signed by Cité Arquitetura, with a project whose premises are to take advantage of the terrain in front of its large slope and existing levels, value the view of the lush vegetation and imperial palm trees of the Botanical Garden, incorporate the memory of the original construction into the new residence and reflect the personality of the new residents. Designed to accommodate three people - a father and two children - the project absorbs details of the original construction, such as the old load-bearing hand-stone walls, used as anchors in the reconfiguration of the circulation and environments in the current residence, highlighting especially the encounter between the present and the past. The design of a covered patio, with zenithal lighting, introduces the staircase access next to the old "wall" of stone, rooting the house in its place of memory and creating a great reception moment.
From this arrival, the project distributes its program according to the landscape, taking advantage of the visual amplitude of each level. Inverting the logic of the old floor plan, the family's intimate use floor was repositioned on the ground floor. In contrast, the common use spaces were relocated to the upper floor, intended to receive friends and family. On this floor there are a living room and kitchen, with large balconies that lean on the landscape, unobstructed at this height, and a swimming pool, taking advantage of the higher level of sunlight. At the same time, following a gradation of privacy, on the lower level of the access road are the intimate environments of the residents, such as the gym and the family's intimate room, with an uncovered terrace protected by the original boundary walls. This space is ideal for exercising with privacy and relaxation.
The flow between the different floors is organized from two distinct vertical circulations, arranged according to the partial use of the pre-existing structural skeleton: one for arrival, connecting the intermediate floor to the upper one, preserving the privacy of the bedrooms; and another for intimate one, connecting the intermediate to the lower floor. Other solutions also emerged from the encounter with the old layout, such as the transfer of the pool to the highest level and the use of the excavation of the old one, on the lower floor, for the implantation of the new cistern for rainwater reuse.
The reinterpretation and reuse of elements from the original construction are also present in other parts of the project, such as openings to the landscape, whether on balconies or windows. The use of the original muxarabi, present in the shutters of the old construction, in the new fenestrations refers to memory, as well as filtering the entry of light on the front facade, facing north. The same sensitivity occurs in the design of the guardrail of the upper terrace, designed from the wooden guardrail that existed on the street-facing balcony of the old building, with the addition of suspended flower boxes that bring greenery to the residence. Designed for these residents and this place, even the choice of coatings is related to the search for an identity, such as the reuse of the tongue-and-groove floor on the ground floor, from the family farm, or the burned concrete floor in the common spaces, evoking affectionately the residents' interior connection.
In this way, the house becomes unique, without the mere replication of aesthetic solutions, remaining in harmony with the memories and desires of the residents. In the end, with its personalized details, it can be said that this project is a return to the craftsmanship architecture. The advancing frames of the bay window windows, designed based on on-site insolation studies, the suspended flower boxes, the shape of the stairs and the delicacy of their handrails, the various carpentry solutions, and even the design of the house number inspired by a bicycle in homage to the resident's cycling practice, are some examples of this personalization and care.
