curving concrete house in brazil by ruy ohtake

curving concrete house in brazil by ruy ohtake hosts a collection of design objects

in são josé do rio preto, a municipality 450 kilometers outside the brazilian city of são paulo, architect ruy ohtake has designed a residence titled ‘house roberto cocenza’. the dwelling, which was completed in january 2015, was designed for collector and curator roberto cocenza and his young family. consequently, the building houses a large collection of art and design, including chairs and stools by sérgio rodrigues, zanini de zanine, and ruy ohtake himself.

positioned on a prominent corner plot, the building presents a curving concrete façade
all images by ricardo boni

positioned on a prominent corner plot, the building presents a curving concrete façade to the passing streets. the two-storey house is surrounded by a lush garden that contains an outdoor cooking and dining area. at ground level a band of floor-to-ceiling glazing wraps around the façade, allowing for sweeping external views. above, irregularly shaped apertures puncture the elevation, lending the scheme a playfully abstract quality.

the two-storey house is surrounded by a lush garden

internally, the client’s impressive collection of design pieces is proudly presented — many of which have been personally dedicated by friends and associates. a chair suspended from the ceiling was designed by tom price for a 2012 exhibition, while the dining table is by todd bracher for fritz hansen. appropriately positioned above the table, are 30 depictions of the last supper, all created by different brazilian artists. many of the fixtures and fittings were supplied by laufen, hansgrohe, and mekal.

irregularly shaped apertures puncture the elevation

the home’s sleeping quarters are found upstairs, where each of the client’s four children each have their own room. space is also provided for the family’s pets — a dog and two tortoises. ‘we are very proud to have built this project in the city,’ says roberto cocenza. ‘we hope we provoke other people to do the same — to commission high standard architects to develop important projects in the area. I think our city, people, and students deserve it.’

the client’s impressive collection of design pieces is proudly presented