Rio House in Brazil by Olson Kundig

Article source: Olson Kundig

After living in the urban core of Rio de Janeiro for many years, the clients wanted to build an intimate retreat on their property adjacent to the Tijuca National Park where they could enjoy books, art and especially the natural landscape. The primary design goal was to make the house as small as possible within its tropical jungle setting. The 1,500-square-foot house rises into the rainforest canopy – a secluded hideaway for the owner couple to retreat from the distractions of city life.

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

• Architects: Olson Kundig
• Project: Rio House
• Location: Rio, Brazil
• Photography: Maíra Acayaba
• Design Principal: Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA
• Project Manager / Project Architect: Edward Lalonde
• Architectural Staff: Fergus Knox
• Gizmo Design: Phil Turner
• General Contractor: Construtora São Bento
• Project Manager / Owner’s Representative: Jose Luiz Canal

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

• Structural Engineers: MCE Structural Consultants and Mauro Jorge
• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers: WSP and GreenWatt
• Landscape Architect: Isabel Duprat Landscape Architecture
• Lighting Design: O- Lighting Design
• Façade Consultant: Front
• Steelwork: Eleve
• Gizmo Design: KB Architectural Services with Phil Turner
• Gizmo Fabricator: 12^th Avenue Iron/
• Project Size: 1,500 SF
• Completed: 2018

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Essentially a steel-and-glass box, the house hovers above the land supported structurally by two concrete piers, one of which also functions as an indoor/outdoor fireplace. Tucked into the juçara palm and cariniana trees on the 3.1-acre site, the north end of the home contains a single bedroom while the south end opens to views of city, the sea, and Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue. On the ground plane belowa screened porch and outdoor kitchenette allow the owners to engage the landscape.

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Local construction techniques are incorporated throughout, including board-formed concrete site walls and interior walls of colorful plaster over terracotta in the Brazilian tradition. Floors are Brazilian wood and vermelhão stained concrete, a common vernacular tradition. Painted, marine-grade stainless structural steel – the home’s primary material – stands up to the humid climate where corrosion is a concern. The home is designed for natural ventilation with manual pivot windows and retractable window walls with insect screens. These, along with a solar water heating system, allow the home to function during intermittent power outages.

“This house is a private, intimate place for the owner couple to go up into the hillside above Rio de Janeiro and enjoy books, art and especially the landscape.” –Tom Kundig, FAIA, RIBA, Design Principal

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Image Courtesy © Maíra Acayaba

Tags: Brazil, Rio

Categories: House, Residential

This entry was posted on Friday, February 12th, 2021 at 6:14 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.