A Set Designer’s House in Brazil Blends Colonial Architecture With Miesian Modernism
A nod to the past, the contemporary country escape by Mapa Architects is surprisingly close to São Paulo’s hustle and bustle.
A nod to the past, the contemporary country escape by Mapa Architects is surprisingly close to São Paulo’s hustle and bustle.
"The sun rises here and sets over there," says Filipe Almendary, standing on a gentle slope near his newly built home. He moves his hand through the air, drawing a full arc over the long, linear wooden volume that sits high on the plot, overlooking a lush valley to one side and deep green woods to the other, just beyond the shimmering pool. "It’s so calm and nice here— we come to relax, swim, and sleep. When it’s sunny, it’s incredible how the shadows change throughout the day."
Filipe Almendary and Manuela Tossi called on Mapa Architects to create a weekend retreat on a grassy hillside near Joaquim Egídio.
Photo: Leonardo Finotti
It’s hard to believe that this tranquil site lies just an hour and half’s drive from São Paulo. The change of scenery is astonishing—from the overpasses and skyscrapers of South America’s biggest metropolis to the breeze-blown trees and lazily grazing cows of the rural town of Joaquim Egídio. The city feels a world apart from this idyll, which is why Filipe, an engineer, and his wife, the set designer Manuela Tossi, bought land here a few years ago with dreams of building some kind of weekend getaway.
The structure appears to hover above a stone retaining wall.
Photo: Leonardo Finotti
"We didn’t take down any trees—we only made a cut to lay the foundation of the house and the pool," says Filipe. "In autumn when it rains, dust from the red earth rises into the air, giving the wall a reddish color."
Photo: Leonardo Finotti
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Set Designer’s House in Brazil Blends Colonial Architecture With Miesian Modernism
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