Spacious Brazilian villa with spectacular views

This spacious villa located just out of Sao Paulo in Brazil was designed by architect Candida Tabet. Every room in the house offers an incredible view of the distinct landscape. One on side of the house lies the forest and on the other, the mountains. The form found by the architect was the transformation of the 12,163 square foot (1,130 square meters) home into a continuity of lush surroundings. For this, she has implemented the construction section of the lot where the eye would be able to wonder out to the horizon. The fireplace in the living room adds a unique and artistic focal point to the space. Throughout the home brightness is added through colorful artwork on the floor, walls and furnishings. A spacious balcony extends out to an infinity edge pool whose contours purposely oppose the local geography. The extension of the roof of the house increases natural light and adds to the aesthetics of the facade. Via

Striking union of two apartments in Sao Paulo

This sensational apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil belongs to a young man who works in the financial market and is the result of merging two apartments bought during the construction of the building. Architecture studio Rocco, Vidal + Arquitetos was responsible for the challenge of retrofitting the design and decoration of the two apartments in such a way that they would not seem mirrored. The solution was to install the service rooms and the gourmet kitchen in one of the original apartments, all integrated into the dining room. The other unit hosts the master suite and a generous closet, guest suite and home office.

The contemporary property was expanded an additional 3,336 square feet (310 square meters), making it possible to create a leisure area to receive friends. With infrastructure speakers, screen and neat little tricks like the ability to use two smaller dining tables instead of one; the resident has the ability to turn the living room into a dance floor at any time. The connection of units was done through one side, through a spa, gym, Jacuzzi and sauna. All of these environments overlook a charming panel by Paulo Von Poser, an artist that reproduces depicting scenes of Sao Paulo; in the other, a home office was built for the owner. The two balconies provide views of immaculate landscaping, adding a touch of class to this striking apartment.

Check out the pictures below and let us know what you think of this remarkable transformation.

Ultimate holiday pad in the Brazilian mountains

A house designed for entertainment, House in Itaipava is a home built for entertainment located in the mountainous region of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Surrounded by lush landscaping, natural ponds and mountains, the home has been designed by Brazilian studio Cadas Architecture. The retreat demonstrates a stunning display of multiple open and relaxing leisure spaces with materials of wood, glass, stone and plenty of natural daylight. There are two separate spaces on the property, both mixing modern lines with a cozy interior, typical of the architecture in the region. One of the houses seems to float upon a natural pond which also provides a natural cooling effect. Sliding glass panels open on either side to provide natural cross ventilation through the living area, which eliminates the use of air conditioning, even on hot summer days.

There is a double height spa/relaxation zone with inviting lounge beds situated in front of a high stone fireplace as well as an indoor pool, perfect for get-togethers with family and friends. The other main house is situated higher up on the hill and provides fabulous views of the surrounding landscape. The interior is built as an open concept, with a living area, entertainment area, kitchen and dining room. Upstairs, roughhewn beams form a counterpoint between the undulating textures of natural wood and the machined planks of the wooded flooring and the lattice of basketry forming the ceiling. A large terrace expands out from the house with seating areas to enjoy the views and a built-in fire pit. Via

Photos: Denilson Machado and Decio Daniel

Modern elegance showcased in Itiquira House

Itiquira House has been designed by Brazilian architect Gisele Taranto, who redesigned this colonial-style residence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The expansive modern home is divided into two distinct blocks, one area for family living quarters and the other block is primarily used for maid’s quarters and utilities. High-quality natural materials, such as corten steel, limestone and marble are used throughout, but they remain as a subtle background for the art and furnishings. The indoor spaces of the 16,145 square foot (1,500 square meters) house, which includes an indoor pool, home theater, library and plenty of space for entertaining guests connects with the lush gardens originally designed by Roberto Burle Marx the designer of the Copacabana Beach Promenade with its distinctive, black-and-white Portuguese geometric wave pattern. Via

Exposed concrete shelter in Sao Paulo

Ipês House has been designed by Marcio Kogan’s StudioMK27 in São Paulo, Brazil. The home incorporates exposed concrete in a radical manner throughout the upper volume and, as such, the large concrete box appears to be floating atop a glass volume. In the living room, which continues to the veranda and the garden, the doors open entirely, diluting the division between interior and exterior. The main entrance is done through pivoting panels that also open entirely to the front garden. In the internal space, a long irregularly-shaped sofa wriggles around the room, constructing a space with no hierarchy among the different orientations.

On the top floor, a TV room distributes the circulation to the bedrooms, which are lit by a wood block on the concrete wall of the facade. The wooden brises offer the interior great thermal comfort and makes it possible to totally control the lighting.

The structure of the house incorporates large spans which accentuate the Idea of a floating Box, besides propitiating a totally free and continuous space. The use of raw concrete refers to modern buildings, aesthetically and functionally, as in a dialogue with this modern architecture. The House of Ipês, with its grand spans and brute material, transpires a sobriety and the concrete impregnated by the passage of time, exposes the existence of the life of the building. Via

Visit the website of Marcio Kogan’s StudioMK27 here.

Photos: Reinaldo Cóser

Bold and colorful urban cabin in Sao Paulo

Urban Cabin was built as an unconventional project designed by architect Fabio Galeazzo in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He transformed an old abandoned property into a contemporary shack with a playful and warm atmosphere that brings back the idea of one space living, matching technology and design, proposing a new young way of living. Here is a description of the project from the architects, “in an old abandoned house were used retrofit construction techniques. The existing structure couldn’t handle the heavy load and was complemented by a sustainable framework of giant bamboo beams and columns treated in autoclaves, the roof received green thermal tiles.

On the floor it was used certificated management timber and some exotic brown granite as well as some walls and ceiling. In order to counter the whole structure and highlight the house amid the dense vegetation the interior and exterior walls were treated as a state of art and received several irregular shapes in different colors inspired in the universe of the modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral.

Outside, a stretch nautical fabric shades the area of the car and a great counter with tiles of different patterns glad the barbecue area which has communication with the swivel kitchen, allowing several combinations between internal and external area.

Inside, with the aim of enhance the view and increase communication between internal and external area a large shelf built in a circular shape frames the landscape. In the decoration design furniture as the giant bed-shaped nest, the “Chifruda” chair from the designer Sergio Rodrigues, the dinner table,”2 in 1 from the designers Campana brothers and Scandinavian furniture fit perfect on the rustic structure.” Via

Luxury paradise retreat: Ponta do Toque Toque

Ponta do Toque Toque is a tranquil paradise, encircled by lush vegetation and sparkling sands, situated just outside the colonial town of Paraty in Brazil. The estate encompasses 40,000 square meters and incorporates three separate houses, Casa do Jardim (The House in the Garden), Casa da Praia (The House over the Beach) and Casa da Vista (The House in the Trees). Every house provides spacious, comfortable and private accommodation, which is integrated into the natural plantation. One of the most well-known birds is called ‘Tie Sangué’ which is the symbol of the estate. The owners are committed to careful conservation of the local environment. The surrounding trees have been preserved, allowing birds and other animals to remain in their natural habitat.

The interior design and building materials were also made with the same eco-friendly care. The building structure for each house is of eucalyptus, the ceilings are covered with bamboo and the furniture has been specially designed and manufactured with raw materials and recycled wood. All of the houses include six spacious bedroom suites with verandas and double living rooms with a fireplace. The facilities includes, private beach with shower and beach cabana, natural waterfall and pond an independent games room, private helicopter pad and a swimming pool situated just outside of ‘The House in the Trees’.

Rates for this beautiful vacation villa vary depending on the season from $1,734 to 3,112 per day, from here.

Ultimate bachelor pad in Sao Paulo

This sensational apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil was designed as a bachelor pad by architect Carol Leaes. It took the architect four months to discover the right apartment that would the needs of her vision of the project arrangement for her client. Here is a description of the project from the designer, “The decision to purchase the property was taken for two reasons: a free floor plan (all pillars are at the ends of the building) and breathtaking view over the park Trianon (the only green area around Paulista Ave). In total, between the search of the property, design and construction we took one year and a half or so. The project is in the famous building’s architect Paulo Bruna. The customer’s briefing was: one bedroom, open kitchen to the living, spaces to feel comfortable and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The customer also gave me a reference: Philippe Starck’s Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires.” What do you think, is this the ultimate bachelor pad?

Visit the website of Carol Leaes here.

Tropical beach house in the Brazilian jungle

This incredible tropical beach house is set inside a fantastic preserved area of rain forest, on the coast of São Sebastião, just minutes from Barra do Una Beach, Brazil. Designed by São Paulo-based architecture firm ArqDonini this house respects the environment due to its construction. The adopted system was a mix of iron frame, corrugated panels, dry wall, still deck and ready-made aluminum windows. Due to the topography of the land, the ground floor is not on the ground but elevated by support columns and bins made of special oxidized steel. This level opens up to a large area, connected to the outside by sliding glass doors and windows.

The upper level, with three bedrooms rooms and three bathrooms, also shares the same lush green view. A rooftop and a naturally paved open basement complete the collection of possibilities for relaxation. The architects also incorporated Vedic Architecture to find the best solutions for wind flux for ventilation and to take advantage of maximum sunlight. This also helped them chose the square shape of the home, (a sacred shape for the homeowner) as the mathematic basis for creating all the spaces, including the most important one: the empty center, where all energies can freely run. Via

Rustic paradise retreat in Brazil

This beautiful craftsman style home spotted on Casa, is located in Trancoso, a town in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Once belonging to ceramist João José Calazans, the rustic home was erected in 1990 and then purchased by former JP Morgan executive Tierry Moriceau, who was seeking a home with a different life outside of Paris. He contracted architect Daniela Oliveira to renovate the 2,884 square foot (268 square meters) home and preserve the original structure. “To strengthen it, we had to add new concrete pillars, which are hidden in the walls,” says architect Daniel Oliveira.

The restoration of wooden doors and frames involved a team of carpenters led by artisan Reginaldo Pereira. The home is organized into six planes, separated by steps with integrated environments bathed in abundant light. Directly accessed from the master bedroom, the lower plateau of the land gives way to a comfortable deck, which was the most radical reform of the old home-workshop. Dense vegetation borders the deck which is defined by the infinity quartz pool, making this one of the most beautiful areas of the house. The coating of quartz green stone work was performed by skilled artisans in the region. The outdoor area also has showers carved from wooden logs used in the manufacturing of boats.

The sculptural sinks, made of logs of wood by craftsmen of the region, appear in public areas of the house, as in the master suite.