A Spacious and Airy Contemporary Home with Wonderful Views in Brasilia

Paineira House by Bloco Arquitetos

“An existing 15 meter (49 foot) tall tree called “Paineira” was the starting point for the organization of the plan. From this point we created an imaginary east-west axis parallel to the street which defined the main internal circulation. However the complete view from inside the house towards the tree is not immediately revealed.

The surrounding views from the inside are revealed in parts, framed by openings in walls and ceilings. Our aim was to use the house as a device to mediate the relationship between the outside and inside.

The program was divided in two blocks separated by a north-south axis: one with the services, living room and “dining room” to the west and the other with the bedrooms to the east. Both blocks have similar dimensions on plan, however a sequence of different ceiling heights insinuate the intended uses of each space. The external form is a direct result of this operation.

The articulation of different ceiling heights that suggest the use and the importance of each room refer to Adolf Loos´ Müller House. Therefore the plan refers to Loos´ “Ramplan” than it refers to Corbusier´s open plan.

Around the limits of the lot we have built walls that are two meters and twenty centimeters high. They work as delimitations of roofless internal gardens that are extensions of the internal spaces. These walls also serve as a screen for the projection of the shadows from the Paineira tree.

The main door is located in the narrowest part of the construction and allows direct access to the backyard. All the external wall surfaces were painted in the same textured paint. A lighter variation of the same color was applied in all the ceilings and internal walls.”

Photos by: Bloco Arquitetos & Haruo Mikami