Architecture Wednesday: in the Heart of the Amazon

I’ve always liked that indoor-outdoor feel in a home, but this one, located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, along the Rio Negro in Manaus, Brazil, seems to take it one step further.

It’s hard to tell when you’re in the house, and when you’re out of the house.

The concrete house, all 7500 square feet of it, is also fill with the warmth of local, exotic woods in the doors, windows, decks and cabinetry. The floors are white cement and all the wet areas—the infinity pool, the barbecue area and the entrance waterfall… let that sink in, the entrance waterfall—are made of oxidized concrete with iron.

In that entrance hall, the rain creates a waterfall and each interior patio employs rain chains to channel that water away, while creating a relaxing, natural sound when it rains.

Nature seems invited to enter the house through various openings in the roof, as well as the gardens that serve almost as room dividers; this also helps to create a natural ventilation system to radiate heat out of the house and keep things cool under the hot Brazilian sun. Fresh air goes down to the planted patios and the windows created by high ceilings let out the hot air.

As I said, you don’t know whether you’ve stepped outside or inside, but either way it’s gorgeous.

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