Dezeen Magazine

OTP Arquitetura completes mountain home on steep site outside São Paulo

OTP Arquitetura has completed a multigenerational house perched on a steep site in Brazil's Mantiqueira mountain range for a couple and their two sons.

The TKN house was designed for an extended family to share certain living spaces, while still maintaining privacy between various family members.

Hillside view of TKN house
The TKN house juts out from a hillside in the Mantiqueira mountains

It is located in Campos de Jordão, a mountainous region in the state of São Paulo.

"Set in one of the highest altitudes in Campos do Jordão, the TKN residence was oriented to face the great view that the site offers from the top of the city," said OTP Arquitetura in a project description.

Brazil House OTP Arquitectura Wood Slats Concrete
The architects oriented the home to make the most of it's mountain views. The end of the overhanging living room is a covered outdoor seating area

Accessed from the rear, the main entrance to the home is on the upper level, which is where the parents' living quarters are laid out.

The long leg of this L-shaped volume contains the family's kitchen, living and dining area in an open configuration.

Living room wood brazil interiors by OTP Arquitetura
The roof is pitched upward towards the landscape

Resting on two sets of steel columns, this space projects out into the landscape, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows. At the end, a covered porch is partially protected by vertical wooden slats.

Underneath this volume is a secondary terrace, which is mainly used by the downstairs residents.

Outdoor living room brasil OTP Arquitetura
The exterior living area is partially shaded by wooden slats

The owners' bedroom and en-suite bathroom is in a small adjacent volume, and accessed via a hallway. Their quarters are bordered on two sides by a large terrace, which they share with their sons that live downstairs.

"The kitchen and the dining room are integrated with the main room based on the resident's lifestyle," explained OTP Arquitetura.

Living room views from OTP Arquitetura House in Brazil
A midcentury-like palette and rich wood finishes lend a refined feel to the home's interiors

An interior staircase leads to the lower level, where there are two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, and a secondary living and dining room. Having a separate kitchen also allows the family to have their meals independently as needed.

Throughout the home, rich wooden surfaces contrast the building's structural concrete construction. Besides these accents, the home's finishes were kept to a simple palette.

Concrete House OTP Arquitetura Brasil
A secondary outdoor space is formed by the overhanging upper volume

OTP Arquitetura is headed by Arthur Oishi, Raphael Takano and Pedro Prado. The studio, which was established in 2013, is based in São Paulo, roughly 125 miles from Campos de Jordão.

Other recently completed projects in Brazil include an A-frame cabin deep in the rainforest by Atelier Marko Brajovic and a simple pavilion for fishermen on Jaguanum Island.

The photography is by Guilherme Pucci.

More images

Floor Plan TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Upper level floor plan
Floor Plan TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Lower level floor plan
Section of TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Cross section
Section TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Cross section
Elevation TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Elevation
Elevation TKN House OTP Arquitetura
Elevation
Concrete House OTP Arquitetura Brasil
A secondary outdoor space is formed by the overhanging upper volume