As its name suggests, Casa 12×12 was built on a 12×12-meter (39×39-foot) lot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was designed by Bernardes Arquitetura for a young couple and their two children, and it was finished in 2013. It features 5,920 square feet of living space and rises up on three floors. The staircase that connects the different levels was inserted within the side of a structural wall in order to make room for various social and private spaces.
The ground floor incorporates two children’s bedrooms and flaunts wooden vertical louvers that ensure privacy and protection from the sun’s rays. The first floor houses the living room, while the master bedroom is located at the second level. Horizontal metal blinds separate the interior of the house from the outdoor garden. However, once these blinds become open, the boundaries between the interior and exterior spaces are blurred.
From the architect:
Located in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, this house was designed for a young couple with two children. It’s a compact housing volume located in a site surrounded by buildings in a narrow street. The transition between the urban environment to the interior space of a residence is articulated by the frontal façade through a succession of layers that make up a landscape in movement.
An extensive program of 450 sqm was distributed in a 12x12m lot along three floors and a rooftop. The steel structure and the waffle slab have allowed a free floor plan and an unobstructed façade without any intermediate structural elements. The main stairs and elevator were located along the side structural wall creating generous internal spaces for the children bedrooms in the ground level, the living room in the first floor and the master bedroom in the second.
On the ground level, wood vertical louvers protect the main entrance and the two bedrooms on this floor. On the second and third floors, the spaces shaped by mandatory setbacks are lined with dense vegetation all along the street facade, bringing privacy for the main living room and the master bedroom.
External to the façade garden, horizontal metal blinds provide further privacy and light control. When open, this garden becomes part of the street landscape and creates an interesting dialogue between the interior and exterior of the house.
Design Team: Thiago Bernardes, Camila Tariki, Fabiana Porto, Francisco Abreu, Ilana Daylac, Antonia Bernardes, Thiago Moretti
Area: 550.0 sqm
Year: 2013
Photographs: Leonardo Finotti
Interior: Bernardes Arquitetura
Landscaping: Daniela Infante
Lighting: Studio Iluz
