Located on a narrow sloping site in a suburb of San Paolo, Brazil, Danilo Terra of the architectural practice of Terra and Tuma Associates chose to construct a home for his family. By using poured concrete and concrete blocks as the main building material, the 185 sq.m. structure reflects the color and texture of San Paolo within its walls.
Access to the home is from the small street level facade, hidden away behind an impressive mural of ceramic tiles and leads directly into the mezzanine level of the 3 storey home. The bedrooms are located on the upper level and a staircase leads down to a sunken open plan living and dining space complete with private courtyards. The raw concrete walls on the interior define the essence of the structure and make it ideal for a simple family lifestyle with minimal housekeeping tasks.
In spite of the below ground position of the living space, it is flooded with light due to the double height window which leads out into the yards and also creates a natural ventilation cross flow. The architectural style of the home differs greatly from the neighboring structures and holds a sense of unique mystery for the neighbors. The architect identifies his home as ‘a fundamental residence’ and states that ‘to live in this house is to live in architecture!’
