AS House by Guilherme Torres

Posted: 27 Oct 2010 03:05 PM PDT

Brazilian architect Guilherme Torres designed the AS House in Cornélio Procópio , Brazil.

An expressive architecture in terms of volume that takes advantage of the existing topography, structurally and economically wise. Through a pragmatic, but also poetic perspective, the young Brazilian architect shows how neat and rational an elegant house can be.
"Less is more" are the words that best translate the building. Using the sloping site for its own benefits, the 600m² house was embedded, like an uncovered box, inside 7, 5 meters high walls, which is ideal to keep the family's privacy and security from the busy streets of this small city in south Brazil. The steep site granted two stories to the house, both located around the patio and pool. By the street level, the intimate area, consisted of 4 suites and an office can be discreetly accessed. The social and services areas are located in the basement level, inside a big rectangular volume, covering the lot from end to end and facing the patio in its totality. To obtain natural light in the basement area, skylights were strategically placed all over the roof, filling the needs for artificial light during the day.

The bedroom floors were done in cumaru wood, while white cement was used in the social areas. The furniture was oversized to receive the numerous guests: a 7 meters long table and a 10 meters long sofa. The idea is the contrast between black and white, a chromatic game which is also repeated on the exterior. The patio has no gardens, just palm trees around the pool. Loyal to the sustainable beliefs, the coffee table gathers construction pallets picked up on the streets, recycled and combined to create a generous supporting surface, a simple detail that became the owner's favorite object.