a monumental roof plane encloses the clustered volumes of brazil's taperá house

new york-based architect victor ortiz presents the ‘taperá house,’ a residential concept that is at once radical and simple. conceived as an assemblage of simple volumes enclosed by a monumental roof plane, the design references the ancient indigenous taperá style. with this influence, the work embraces the heritage of its proposed site in paraty, a lush coastal town outside rio de janeiro. the style is similarly characterized by its visual simplicity, open walls, and simple enclosures — elements which are employed and translated into a work of architecture that is fresh and contemporary.

visualizations by victor b. ortiz architecture

victor b. ortiz organizes the taperá house across three levels, although from afar it may appear as a long, low volume. these three levels are informed by the gradual slope of the landscape. the top-most serves as the entrance and hosts the dwelling’s social spaces including a living and dining room, kitchen areas, breakfast room, and guest suite. meanwhile, the intermediate level houses three suites, each of which is strategically opened outward with floor-to-ceiling windows. the lowest level is a social terrace, programmed with a home-theater, outdoor dining area, and solarium.

the house is carefully designed to make use of natural sunlight and ventilation to its advantage. the cluster of volumes are unified overhead by a sleek, light-weight metallic curved roof, allowing air to circulate throughout. all of the separate volumes receive plant-life and express an atmosphere that is intimate, and nature-driven. because the openings also invite natural sunlight deep into the house, the need for artificial lighting is minimized.

victor ortiz makes use of natural local timber all throughout the taperá house, both with some of the furniture pieces, as well as the window framing. with this thoughtful material palette expressed throughout the house, the furniture elements and architectural design flow together to create an exciting and unified design language. for instance, the columns are detailed with the wood joinery seen in traditional furniture design, thus minimizing the use of hardware and favoring the integration of mobile interior elements into the overall architecture.

wooden elements unify the house from the window framing to the furniture elements

the separate glass volumes invite cross-views and integrate plant-life

the assemblage is influenced by the indigenous taperá style

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the taperá house uses natural sunlight and ventilation to its advantage

victor ortiz organizes the dwelling across three levels, with the topmost level programmed for social spaces

project info:

project title: taperá residence

architecture: victor b. ortiz architecture

location: rio de janeiro, brazil