The early 20th century marked a pivotal era in Brazilian architecture with the advent of the modernist movement. Architects like Oscar Niemeyer or Lúcio Costa introduced avant-garde designs characterized by sleek lines, reinforced concrete, and a focus on functionality. What's more: residential projects of the era, in particular, blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor, flawlessly merging interior and exterior spaces to reflect a lifestyle that harmonizes with nature. Fast forward to the present day, and contemporary architects and designers in Brazil continue to embrace the challenge of creating indoor-outdoor homes that nod to the country's tropical climate. These residences often feature open floor plans, expansive glass walls, and strategic positioning of courtyards, gardens, or terraces with a design philosophy that emphasizes natural light, ventilation, and the incorporation of greenery for increased well-being. We take a detailed look at four recently completed residential projects in Brazil that fuse contemporary architecture, sustainable living, and a deep appreciation for their natural surroundings.
Concrete Houses: The Latest Architecture and News
The Untold Story of Cairo's Villa Badran: Organic Architecture in the 1970s
While Egyptian architects were exercising their understanding of modernism in the urban fabric in the 1970s, a “chubby rebellion” in the form of Villa Badran defied the standardized curvilinear forms and rigid geometry. Gamal Bakry dived deep into his imagination to construct this unique piece of architecture that still stands as part of the city of Cairo today. With curving and free-flowing facades, Villa Badran drew inspiration from natural forms. In an attempt to create a living space that was more natural in its essence, the bubbly intervention puts in place a monolithic composition that hosts a two-story detached home for an Egyptian family.
Tube Houses: 15 Projects Reinterpreting the Narrow Vietnamese Residences
Walking down the streets of cities like Hanoi and Saigon in Vietnam, you might encounter houses with surprisingly narrow facades in contrast to the stacking of three to five floors, with windows for ventilation and natural light only on the front facade. These are the famous traditional Tube Houses. According to ancient popular culture, this type of housing emerged due to property taxes being based on the width of the facade, but the true reason is to optimize land use, allowing a larger number of plots in the same square.
However, this legacy is now being recreated in contemporary designs by Vietnamese architects. Old facades give way to innovative solutions featuring atriums for natural lighting and ventilation, courtyards and interior gardens, greenery incorporated into different environments, split-levels, etc., allowing for high-quality spaces. With that in mind, we have put together a selection of Tube Houses, together with their respective section drawings. Check out below:
Colombian Houses: Examples of Floor Plans, Design, and Materials
For much of the world, this past year was spent within the confines of our homes, undoubtedly blurring the lines between our public, professional, and private lives and transforming our living spaces into places of work and productivity. This transformation of spaces and how they are used is nothing new in the world of architecture as countless spaces take on various roles beyond what they were originally designed for--a fact reflected in their layout, design, and the materials used within them.
C House / Studio Arthur Casas
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Architects: Studio Arthur Casas
- Area: 425 m²
- Year: 2013
The Cove House / Red Brick Studio
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Architects: Red Brick Studio
- Area: 170 m²
- Year: 2021
Honest House / OGATAYOHEI
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Architects: OGATAYOHEI
- Area: 62 m²
- Year: 2020
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Professionals: Kimura Kougyo co.Ltd
Plain Ties / Matharoo Associates
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Architects: Matharoo Associates
- Area: 9130 ft²
- Year: 2018
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Professionals: Rushabh Consultants, Matharoo Associates, Jit Engineering Services
House in Los Angeles 1 Art Studio and Residential Compound / The LADG
Kutta Estate House / EDOM Architecture
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Architects: EDOM Architecture
- Area: 1750 ft²
- Year: 2020
Barbosa House / CB ARQUITECTURA
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Architects: CB ARQUITECTURA
- Area: 840 m²
- Year: 2020
House in Restelo / Pedro Domingos Arquitectos
Most Beautiful House / Leo Romano
Tree House / Studio Guilherme Torres
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Architects: Studio Guilherme Torres
- Area: 1165 m²
- Year: 2018
Cork Trees House / TRAMA arquitetos
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Architects: TRAMA arquitetos
- Year: 2020
Q04L63 House / mf+arquitetos
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Architects: mf+arquitetos
- Area: 282 m²
- Year: 2020
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Manufacturers: Casa de Cora, Cia Luz, Danilo Sbindio, Deca, Design brasil, +6