Andrade Morettin Associates, Architects designed this  summerhouse located at a short distance from the sea, in Itamambuca on the north coast of the State of São Paulo, in Brazil. The environment is hot and humid and the landscape includes exuberant vegetation.


What the architects wanted to create was a big shelter. A sort of a “shell”, that protects from the intense sun and the frequent rain, without blocking the natural cross ventilation that cools the house.

All Photos by Nelson Kon  
 

The house has a rectangular footprint of 18x8 meters (55x24ft) and a high ceiling of 6 meters (20ft). The shape of the house produces two large façades that open generously to the beautiful scenery. Mosquito screens made from panels of fiberglass were installed. They can pivot or slide creating an external membrane that keeps the insects out, without obstructing the ocean view or the natural breeze.   
While the private areas of the house reside on the upper floor, the ground floor is an open plan that suits the vocation of the summerhouse. With the openness from both side, it reinforces the integration of the house with its environment.

The house was built using a prefabricated timber structure with galvanized steel joints. The lateral walls as well as the roof are covered with steel cladding with EPS filling. The whole structure is elevated 75cm (2.5 ft) above ground level and supported by concrete pillars cast on site.         

All other components used in the construction are pre-fabricated and were simply mounted in place. The adopted constructive system, besides reducing the assembly time on site, and reducing the possibility of making mistakes, produced a dry construction site, that generate the least amount of waste and a low environmental impact.  
     







Project Description and Credits:

Lot: 500m²
Built Area:  220m²
Completion date: June 2007

Architects: Andrade Morettin Associates;
Vinicius Andrade and Marcelo Morettin

 Coordinator: Merten Nefs

Collaborators: Marcio Tanaka, Marcelo Maia Rosa, Marina Mermelstein, Renata Andrulis

 Structure: Ita Construtora
Construction: Vicente Ganzelevitch
Foundation: Eng. Pedro Negri
Electrical: Eng. Nilton José Maziero
Suppliers:       
Masisa Brasil (OSB)
Udinese-Papaiz (mosquito screens)
Reka; Luminárias Projeto (lighting)
Sicmol (glass tablets)
Estrumec (cladding and metal frames)