Couri House: A Single-Story Home in the Heart of Brasília
Set in Brasília, Brazil, the Couri House is a single-story house designed by ARQBR Arquitetura e Urbanismo in 2019.
Located in a residential condominium, the 713 sq.m plot features a solitary pequi native tree, legally protected and very representative of the Central Brazilian region of the Cerrado. The project conciliates this context with the family’s desire to build a small house with a shaded terrace, whilst obtaining the largest space of green area possible. The strategy adopted was to design the plan in the shape of a ribbon that develops through the plot, adjusting itself to its perimeter and creating voids to create living and leisure patios that promote contact with the gardens and the neighboring green area.
About Couri House
Bringing Nature Inside: A House Design that Embraces the Pre-Existing Landscape
Located in a residential condominium, this 713 sq.m (7,742 sq. ft) plot boasts a solitary pequi native tree, legally protected and highly representative of the Central Brazilian region of the Cerrado. Adjacent to the lot is a flourishing green non-buildable area, which is sure to become a densely wooded forest, providing a common green space for the condominium’s residents.
The Family’s Vision: A Small Single-Story Home with a Shaded Terrace
The project aimed to bring together the context of the native tree and the family’s dream of a small single-story house with a shaded terrace and the largest possible green area. To achieve this, the team designed a plan in the shape of a ribbon, fitting it to the perimeter of the plot and creating voids that became living and leisure patios. These allowed for contact with the gardens and the neighboring green area, while allowing the native tree to remain in its place, a simple reminder of the pre-existing landscape.
Central Porch: Integrating Social and Intimate Spaces
The central porch both segregates and integrates the social and intimate sectors of the house. Moving from one area to the other requires passing through the porch, which also serves to integrate the two patios. The design of the spaces and their relationships encourages unusual paths through the house, such as from the living room to the porch, passing through the patio, or from the dining room to the TV room, passing through the porch. In this way, everyday life experiences a continuous connection between inside and outside, allowing for contact with nature and the sky.
Photography courtesy of ARQBR Arquitetura e Urbanismo
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- by Matt Watts
