Residential

All uphill

Challenging site as house design deals with 30 degree slope

by James 13 December 2010
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    Built into a sloped site (30 degrees) in the city of Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, the house uses dramatic cantilevers to emphasise the extremity of its position. The constructed area is 650 sq m, divided into three floors: the basement, where the owners can enjoy leisure facilities such as the outdoor pool and extensive external terrace; the ground floor, where the living area and the kitchen make this the centre of the home; and the first floor, where the occupants can obtain privacy in the bedrooms.

    The form is generated by the engineering of the concrete structure, robust and sculptural in its application of the cantilever. The architects wanted as few columns as possible in order to preserve the existing site. Unsurprisingly given the exquisite surroundings, the largest proportions of the building face outwards down the hill with views towards the forest. Glazed elevations make the most of this and the sunrise to the east. This project was based in three main concepts – small interference on the site, better use of natural resources, sunlight, and wind ventilation, and integration to the natural context.

    Brazil

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