Modern Brazialian House | Casa JE | Nova Lima | Brazil | Humberto Hermeto

In an irregular terrain with 3160 sqm, we needed to incorporate two uses:

The first one, a big residence, with five suites, generous living and leisure spaces, in addition to the service dependencies.

The second, a large gallery for the owner, an art enthusiast.

The shape of the site, at first glance a complicating factor for its irregular form, guided the project. In the existing vertical gap (10 meters in total), the first action: different uses in different levels.

In the lower level, the gallery, the stereotomic volume. With the need for an air-conditioned closed space, the volume arises from the ground like a big rock, a big platform.............more

Brazillian Modern House Design | Casa BF | Brazil | Humberto Hermeto

The premise of the project was to have a house as a platform with all the spaces in a single level (which should be as high as possible to take advantage of existing views). The owners had already purchased a lot, and off comes the complicated topography of the proposal.

With an average incline of 68% in the front of the property (more specifically in its first 10 meters), the ground presents the first obstacle to overcome: land works. A first simulation had a ramp going up but the cost of displacing dirt was so high that the idea was not feasible (the cost of moving earth and building foundations for the ramp exceeded the price paid for the property). In addition, this ramp would use more than 60% of the area, which made impossible the implementation of a project according to customer requirements.........more