Eco-tropical Brazilian home – Bahia House

Created by Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan, the home was completed this year in Salvador, Brazil, where the exterior walls consist of sliding latticed wooden panels. The project, called Bahia House, was designed specifically for a hot climate and uses traditional Brazilian building techniques and materials, including clay for the roof and wood for the ceiling. The building is organized around a central patio to maximize natural ventilation and keep the interior cool in hot weather. According to the architect, “The Bahia House is an ecological house. But, not in the technological sense, not in the contemporary sense of the word ‘sustainability’, it does not have the very latest state-of-the-art gadgets that make it possible to optimize electric expenditure.” The openings have large panels of wooden Mashrabiyas that provides vast comfort to the interior. The traditional Bahian house uses the northeastern wind blowing in from the sea to help determine the site plan and has cross ventilation in in the main living spaces of the home to help keep the interior airy and cool.

Photos:  Nelson Kon