Casa Itupeva by UNA MUNIZVIEGAS

_project: Casa Itupeva
_architecture: UNA MUNIZVIEGAS
_location: Itupeva, Brazil

In contemporary architecture, the most compelling projects often begin with a simple but demanding question: how can a building belong to the land rather than simply occupy it? As environmental awareness and site sensitivity become increasingly central to design practice, architects are exploring ways for architecture to emerge from the landscape itself. Instead of flattening terrain or neutralizing natural elements, the design process can engage with them, allowing topography, vegetation, water, and climate to guide spatial organization, material choices, and construction strategies.

Set within a dense and protected landscape in the countryside of São Paulo, this residence was conceived after several visits to the site revealed its most defining features: large exposed boulders scattered across a steep slope, thick vegetation surrounding the plot, and a nearby lake accessed through a narrow forest trail. These elements shaped the project from the outset, inspiring a house that feels less like an inserted object and more like a continuation of the terrain.

The program was developed for a couple nearing their eighties whose home often becomes a gathering place for an extended family that includes children, partners, and grandchildren. This dynamic led to a spatial strategy that balances independence and conviviality. The everyday life of the couple unfolds in a horizontal pavilion positioned on the upper level, while a series of bedrooms for visiting family members are embedded within the slope below.

This organization results in two distinct architectural expressions. Above, a light and transparent volume in laminated timber gently rests on the landscape, offering openness and expansive views. Below, a more contained concrete structure merges with the terrain, forming a base that echoes the presence of the large natural rocks scattered across the site.

Water becomes a third material element in this composition. The swimming pool is conceived almost as another stone in the landscape, an artificial pond that reflects the surrounding forest while reinforcing the dialogue between architecture and nature.

Outdoor spaces play a central role in daily life. Generous covered terraces, verandas, and gardens expand the interior areas and encourage long periods of outdoor living, protected from both sun and rain. A large wooden roof extends beyond the enclosed rooms, creating deep eaves that mediate between inside and outside.

Inside the house, a double-roof system creates an air cushion that improves thermal performance and reduces the need for artificial conditioning while also functioning as a rainwater collection system. Trees, rocks, and water therefore become precise elements within a carefully composed landscape, one where architecture feels inseparable from the mineral and vegetal matter that surrounds it.

_article written by Daniela Moreira da Silva
_film by Architecture Hunter
_cover and image scroll by Pedro Kok