Minimal Masterpieces: Brazil’s Modern Residences

Alain de Botton believes in the idea of the home: a hopeful, genuine place where we might “slowly resume contact with a more authentic self, who was there waiting in the wings for us to end our performance.” Walter Benjamin also believed in the idea of the home, but thought the opposite: “The private individual, who in the office has to deal with reality,” he wrote, “needs the domestic interior to sustain him in his illusions.”

Fantasy or truth, illusion or reality, the modern house might be the most beloved, envy-inducing type of architecture. In a country like Brazil, where the landscape inspires far greater magnitudes of awe than a building ever could, contemporary homes tend to engage with the splendor of their natural surroundings. This collection comprises residential projects often situated in the thick of a verdant environment, distant off-shoots of Lina Bo Bardi’s 1951 Casa de Vidro in their shared understanding of transparency and pared-down forms. While such houses are undoubtedly enriched by dramatic contexts, their minimal designs and subtle materials remind us that what makes a modern house great is not what is built, but what isn’t —and from that gap, a different self can grow.

Salto House by AMZ Arquitetos, Salto

Built as the vacation home for a large family, the Salto House comprises a succession of spaces designed for social use, in which communal areas are open to both sides and bedrooms can be made private by a series of elegant wooden sliding doors.

JN Houseby Jacobsen Arquitetura, Petrópolis

Although only a short drive away from Rio de Janeiro, the JN House seems to be tucked far beyond the reaches of modern civilization. Situated at the foot of the Petrópolis mountains, the vacation home was designed to provide a family and their friends with a space to unwind and appreciate the arresting landscape around them. The architecture follows the natural topography, consisting of concrete slabs and wooden slats that age to match the tones of the earth.

Two Beams House by Escritório Yuri Vital, Tibau do Sul

When it comes to residential architecture, the designers of the Two Beams house saw value in three tenets: ventilation, natural light and a good view. To this end, the house uses two beams and four pillars to create a variety of spaces that merge seamlessly with the surrounding lawn, bringing air and light into every corner. A sculptural black staircase dominates the central void, tying together the two pavilions and providing privileged views of the nearby sea.

Casa ERby Estúdio MRGB, Padre Bernardo, Brazil

Situated at a high point overlooking a lush valley northwest of Brasília, the Casa ER is rooted in its pastoral setting by thick stone walls that form a language of intersecting planes. Surrounded by a wooden deck, the simple massing of the structure graciously cedes to its stunning panoramic view.

RT Houseby Jacobsen Arquitetura, Paraty

Seeking to create a two-story structure that appears to consist of a single floor, the architects raised the RT House partly off the ground and clad the exterior in dark metallic beams. The conventional sloped, ceramic roof is disguised by the overhang of a more modernist plane of charred wood, cohering easily with the tropical palette.

Itahyê Residence by Dtestudio, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Concerned with the thermal capacities of the house, the architects of this São Paulo residence chose the building materials with an eye for both aesthetics and performance. A combination of concrete, brick and blue metal was arranged to dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, a divide further softened by the client’s eclectic assortment of lounge furniture.

HS House by STUDIO ARTHUR CASAS, São Paulo

The rectangular volume of Casa HS was conceived to contrast directly with the cubic abode of the clients’ parents, situated on the same expansive golf course. Parts of the lengthy façade are wrapped in perforated metal panels that can be folded up and glass doors that can be slid back, transforming the dwelling into an open pavilion.