Brazilian Houses: 20 Projects with Underground Spaces

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Designing spaces below ground level is always a major challenge, particularly regarding lighting and ventilation. However, creative solutions make it possible to create welcoming, airy subterranean spaces, such as the use of perforated panels to bring light into Casa K or even the strategic implementation of a glass-bottomed reflecting pool on the ground floor, allowing natural light to reach the basement of Jardim do Sol House.

In the vast majority of these examples, the decision to build underground stems from a desire to reduce the building's footprint, often allowing for larger landscaped areas. Regarding zoning regulations, it is worth noting that many Brazilian cities not only permit but actively encourage subterranean construction as a strategy to minimize ground-level site coverage.