House in Itatiba / Rassini Arquitetura

Architects: Rassini Arquitetura
Location: Itatiba, Brazil
Author: Felipe Rassini
Area: 250.0 m2
Project Year: 2012
Photographs: Edson Ferreira

Structure Technical Consultancy: Eng. Sidney Gagliardi
Facilities: Profile level
Construction: Level profile – Resp. Jorge Santos

Text description provided by the architects. Often, a plan begins in one way and then it takes new contours. This was the situation that happened with the owners of this residence, with 250m², signed by the Rassini Arquitetura, an office from São Paulo. Localized in Itatiba, a city near to the capital of São Paulo, the architect Felipe Rassini says that a couple of clients looked for him with an initial intention of building a house as an investment plan. Rassini Arquitetura’s actuation has started looking for the perfect land, inside a medium standard condominium. It was important prerogatives to achieve that they asked: build a single storey house on a large plot with special dedication for lighting issues, natural ventilation and finishes.

After choosing a land of 1,150m², Rassini Arquitetura developed the architectural project. Inspired by the Mies Van Der Rohe Pavilion, located in the city of Barcelona, the architect brought the large glass panels that contribute for the light and natural vegetation being always present in every environment of the house. Tied to this, the residence brings another premise requested by the owners: the integration among internal and external environments. For them, the house should also be clear and comfortable – not small nor large -, easy to maintain and built with materials of great finishing. The first solution presented to the client was a modulation created to facilitate the construction. The architect developed a module of 6x3m and, from it, arise the living room, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms.

All home environments were arranged in such a way that natural light could always be the protagonist. The leisure area was born alongside the master house, but as a matter of terrain stood 2m below the main building. Even so, fully integrated. In the living room, with generous ceilings of 4,5m Rassini Arquitetura has chosen the comfort of the sofa in “L”, propitious to enjoy the weekends. Charles Eames armchair was the choice for morning reading. From any point of the room, the view is the green landscape. The integration of living room, dining room and the kitchen was another solution suggested and approved by the clients. In this house, all rooms speak to each other and none are isolated. Even the outsiders are visually integrated. Only one corridor, enclosed with wood and glass, separates the social area from the reserved one. It crosses the Jabuticabeira Courtyard.

The fruit tree has an interesting story: acquired as a “baby tree”, with four years old, the desire is that the Jabucatibeira grows in partner with grandchildren’s owners. Rassini Arquitetura has developed three bedrooms, being of them a suite. The bathrooms were thought generously. The house has only one type of floor: natural porcelain tile. The decision is justified by the ease of cleaning and also to reaffirm the integration of the environments. In the leisure area, pool and gourmet area. For the days of intense heat and parties! The decor was designed in a second step. “After verifying the construction, the couple that until then was focused on the house as an investment decided to keep the house as their property”, tells the architect. In neutral tones, the decoration presents a clear base – predominantly for the shades of beige, white and blue, which blends with the exterior green. The furniture, straight and neat, and lighter, helped keep the attention for the external area of the house.