Architecture Wednesday: Preta Beach House

It’s kind of the best of both worlds, actually, this house. It is nestled between the mountains of the Serra do Mar and the beach. The mountains are covered with the native Atlantic forest, which is the most bio-diversified ecosystem on the planet, while the beach is quite small, and basically private.
The Preta Beach house is a link among the natural forces surrounding it. The house has been extensively remodeled; in fact, all that remains of the original home is the foundation and a few walls.
The remodeling served to make the house seem part of its environment, and the house has basically been split in two, with a private area, and the public rooms.
The house is a large rectangular platform with its longer sides parallel to the beach upon which the house sits. One faced faces the water, while the other faces the hillside. These large façades feature wide openings to take in the views and low for expansive verandas.
The architects felt that the brick walls and the opaque elements should be perpendicularly to the beach to let winds, the light and views in). Movable walls and transparent openings are parallel to the beach and have been designed in order to provide maximum exposure. On the veranda, sliding doors running on independent rails may be opened all the way from one of the home to the other to bring the outside inside.
The home’s bedrooms have been designed to provide maximum privacy; each one has its own entrance and its own direct access to the verandas.
The common-use areas such as living room, TV room and kitchen are placed together in a single, wide-open space. And the veranda is another room as well, acting like an extension of the beach, another common-use space. The living room, veranda, and beach seem to be of one space with all the sliding doors are opened.
It really is the best of both worlds. Beach and mountains, water and stone, public and totally private.
Gas up the jet and let’s fly.