Eco-Friendly Home
Eco-Friendly Home. Our dreams of the perfect home is usually inspired by classic homes — a cute little townhouse, or perhaps an expansive estate; maybe a fully-planted condo in the city. But there was one Brazilian family who dared to dream otherwise. Looking to individualize the sanctuary this time and have more connectedness with nature, they commissioned their complex homestead sprawled across three stories nestled in a valley of hilly pastures outside Brazil’s São Paulo. The result? The home that appear to be grown from the earth, barely noticeable among its surroundings due to their radical design integrating sustainability and synergy with nature.
Beyond Aesthetics: The Green Roof
The living roof is arguably the biggest showstopper of this home, reflecting not only a unity between man-made and natural but also serving as an effective design element in sustainability. A rooftop covered in greenery, such as the one that tops this house, can help keep interior temperatures down—reducing energy consumption. The Nova Lima Residence in Brazil features a green roof that appears to merge effortlessly into the street level. It not only helps make the house more visually appealing and feel like it is part of the land, but also increases air circulation which can increase how much energy efficiency you achieve overall.
Aesthetic Philosophy : Listening to the Land
This house embodies the philosophy of Bernardes Arquitetura, a Brazilian architecture practice who planned this extraordinary design. It is the landscape that tells them what design needs to be implemented. And as the firm says, ‘The land tells us what the project should be; our job is to listen and respond. At the sloping site in Porto Feliz—a picturesque district by the Tietê River surrounded with lush vegetation—the architects chose to integrate into its natural features a residence that seems like an affirmation of this hill.
Love the Outdoors: A Home that Connects with Nature
The house has an upper floor with a landscaped terrace, including an infinity pool and amazing views of the nearby hills. This level is also home to an expansive balcony that transforms living space outwards, blending the indoors with outdoor areas. In addition to linking indoors and outdoors on a symbolic level, green plantscape planted blue roof minimize heat Island effects by absorbing sunlight radiation with the natural ability of photosynthesis which keeps interior cool even in hot summers.
A House Invisible to the Eye
The homeowners initially wanted the home to be a somber presence that emerged from its surroundings and was virtually unseen by passersby. The São Paulo-based practice Bernardes Arquitetura achieved this mission, with a structure they claim is nearly invisible in its environment. Rather than being a glowing beacon this house sinks into the landscape, beckoning you to approach us, it calmly waits for its visitors under giant eves and protective green roof with just barely visible skylights ensuring that every room is filled with plenty of natural light. More than just visually appealing design choices, they also make the home more energy-efficient by requiring less artificial light and reducing indoor cooling demands.
Airy Oasis: The Decorative Element of Natural Light
The architects wanted the home to be flooded with natural light. The strong use of openings in the wide roof and scenic skylights help natural daylight to flow deep into the house, creating a welcoming environment. Solar panels on the site also help to offset some of the home’s energy demands, and brises-soleil—fixed sun-shading devices—that wrap around two sides facing east and west prevent too much heat from entering.
The Heart of the Home: A Middle Courtyard
A peaceful central courtyard provides the anchor around which this home is arranged. The two cores located at the front house short-term and long-term living areas, while those in back contain master bedroom suites. Characterized by a seamless connection to the outdoors, large terraces and sliding glass panels are used several times throughout the design allowing for an easy indoor / outdoor lifestyle. This landing created a feeling of space and peaceful living, turning the home into an ultimate sanctuary.
Traveling Through Space: Link THE LEVELS
Gathering and wellness spaces take up the lower level of the house, including guest rooms (background) and quiet areas prior to treatment. An elegant spiral staircase leads straight to the top floor which fully opens in a seafront terrace and plunge pool, making his journey through this house an emotional experience. Truly, no detail has been overlooked inside (and outside), with handcrafted furniture and design made in collaboration by local craftsmen. Natural materials like wood and textiles are employed in opposition to the concrete structure, bringing warmth and some real natural beauty.
An Environmentally Contextual Home
From the green roof to its central courtyard, this house in Porto Feliz is inherently tied to its surrounding landscape at every level of design. And by listening to the land, and responding with low-impact design approaches that are sensitive to sustainable living, Bernardes Arquitetura has created a house where not only meets all of its stunning surroundings but soaks it in (literally) — an escape for family life.
Sustainability Living Testimony
This Brazilian home is the living incarnation of sustainable design. When juxtaposed with these natural elements and by virtue of its energy-saving benefit, the Bernardes Arquitetura has meticulously ensured that this home is both environmentally-friendly while equitably being a coalesce to curb appeal. The outcome is an abode that caters to the demands of its dwellers while partaking and dignifying, rather than devastating — or as Martin says “not introducing any new foes” into the scenery within which it resides.