Villa San Isidro Project: Balance Between Contemporary Architecture and Integration with the Forest

The Casa AC project involves the creation of a pavilion that will be annexed to an already established residence located in the inland region of the state of São Paulo. This new space was conceived to function as a complete common area.

The integrated pavilion includes a kitchen, a large dining table, and a unified living room. Furthermore, the project contemplates a guest suite on the ground floor, specifically designed to accommodate visitors with mobility limitations, and a changing room intended to support the existing pool on the site.

The project team described that the traditional architecture of the Alentejo region is characterized by the sobriety of its forms, the functionality of its spaces, and a strong connection to the local climate and landscape.

Located atop Monte Alvo, the residence was designed on a single floor plan to optimize solar light capture and ensure thermal comfort throughout the year.

Elements such as the pitched roof covered with ceramic tiles, the whitewashed walls, the robust masonry, and the chimneys refer to regional construction but are reinterpreted in a contemporary context. The chimneys, crucial to the house's identity, serve functions beyond smoke exhaust, promoting natural ventilation, passive cooling, and introducing diffused light, thereby reducing the need for artificial systems.

The arch, a vernacular resource used simply, was reintegrated to demarcate entrances and structure the internal space. A central axis runs through the entire building, connecting the side facades and internal sectors. In the kitchen area, the arch extends to a curved ceiling, providing continuity to the spatial organization.

Historically, the original building housed several families, containing five autonomous dwellings within a single volume, each with its own entrance. This history served as a basis for the new project, which sought to maintain and reinterpret the communal and family character of the site. The new configuration is divided into three independent units, each with private access, allowing use by multiple generations of the same family while preserving a sense of unity.

The project maintains a continuous dialogue with the surrounding environment. Two large openings intensify the interaction with the landscape, allowing direct coexistence with the outdoors. The decision to punctuate the volume predominantly with doors ensures constant permeability between the interior and nature.

Sustainability at Monte Alvo is based on meticulously planned and adjusted passive and infrastructural strategies suited to the hot and dry climate of Alentejo. The south-facing facade is protected by a straw pergola, offering natural shading and limiting direct solar incidence. The openings were sized and arranged to maximize cross-ventilation, which minimizes energy consumption. Furthermore, local materials, such as stone and lime, were used to ensure thermal inertia and reduce ecological impact.

The design team described Casa Amona, a project located on an urban lot in San Cristóbal de las Casas, near one of the city's main green areas. The residence was conceived to maintain a reserved connection with the street, directing its internal dynamics toward the interior of the property. Different openings and patios were used to create visual links both with the surrounding landscape and with the living spaces themselves.

With a total built area of 155 m², the architectural program is distributed across two floors, functioning as a set of functionally distinct units. On the ground floor, there is the living room, dining room, and kitchen, forming a continuous space that includes a full bathroom. This level's layout allows the living room to be adapted to function as a master bedroom without major structural changes, anticipating various uses over time.

The upper floor houses the most intimate spaces—bedroom, studio, and terrace—which have a direct connection to the views offered by the hill. Additionally, there is an independent 45 m² atelier, designed to accommodate artistic activities and family gatherings, which also features its own private room and autonomous bathroom.

This atelier opens onto a patio that was organized around an existing ash tree. In this patio, native vegetation and a small pond form an urban micro-habitat integrated into the residential complex.

In terms of materials, the project utilizes masonry, exposed brick, non-structural adobe, and cypress wood, the latter being fundamental in elements such as roofing, frames, and custom furniture. The finish with whitewashed plaster, combined with wood and clay tile floors, extends between the internal and external spaces, resulting in architecture designed to age gracefully.

The name Amona, which means grandmother in the Basque language, reflects a specific vital need and names a house intended to harmonize domestic life, creative work, and family gatherings.