Patio Guapuruvu Haus | Estudio Piloti Arquitetura | Camanducaia, Brasil

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Modern minimalist architectural house with wooden elements and lush green trees in the background

Mountain retreat in Mantecira

At an altitude of 1250 meters in the Mantecira mountain range, the Patio Guapuruvu house by Estudio Piloti Arquitetura represents a modern rural sanctuary designed around a central courtyard that blurs the boundary between home life and nature. The house embodies simplicity, sustainability, and connection, offering its inhabitants a peaceful dialogue with the landscape.

Situated on a 20,000 m² slope in Camanducaia, the house uses a north-facing orientation, providing panoramic views of forested valleys while protecting itself from cold southern winds.

Architecture rooted in place

The concept of the courtyard is central to the design. Three independent volumes — the main house, garage, and guest house — are arranged around a 10×10 meter courtyard. This configuration creates a balance between intimacy and openness, allowing the space to be used differently: from drying crops to dinners by a campfire under starlit skies.

Each building has its own entrance, providing flexibility in various life rhythms. The courtyard functions as both a functional workspace and a sociable center, evoking the atmosphere of traditional Brazilian farms while maintaining modern architectural restraint.

Honest materials and local craftsmanship

Designed for accessibility, speed, and sustainability, the Patio Guapuruvu house uses local technologies and natural materials in their purest form.

Mixed earth walls, built from excavated local soil, provide thermal mass and a tactile connection to the site.
Polished concrete floors, installed on polystyrene panels, offer comfort in extreme regional temperatures.
Courtyard ceramic tiles recall the drying racks of old coffee plantations — a subtle tribute to regional culture.

The main and guest houses feature a wooden glued roof, insulated with panels and 30 cm thick compressed earth walls, ensuring effective climate control. The garage, serving as auxiliary and tool storage, uses a simpler color palette: exposed concrete, cobogós ceramic bricks, and panel boards, reflecting hierarchical goals and cost efficiency.

Sustainable systems in harmony with nature

Environmental responsibility is the core principle of the project. The wastewater treatment system employs an ecological pond with evapotranspiration, where banana trees filter wastewater naturally. The rainwater absorption replenishes groundwater, preserving the natural hydrological cycle of the site.

Every decision, from material reuse to minimal earthworks, reflects the aesthetic of Estudio Piloti — building with the land, not against it. Using excavated soil for walls and ecologically sustainable timber reduces the carbon footprint and connects architecture to its environment.

Life between earth and sky

The house's location on an intermediate terrain level offers two distinct perspectives:

a direct forest zone, where wild nature becomes part of daily life, and
a distant valley, where changing light and weather emphasize the horizon.

This duality — between closeness and space, sanctuary and openness — defines the poetic character of the Patio Guapuruvu house. The result is a home that honors folk wisdom through modern design clarity, inviting inhabitants to live in harmony with nature's rhythm.

Essential beauty through simplicity

In its earthy textures, low-effort construction, and layout around the courtyard, the Patio Guapuruvu house reduces architecture to its essence — space, light, and materials.

Embracing raw materials, local craftsmanship, and passive design, Estudio Piloti Arquitetura creates a timeless home that is both environmentally friendly and emotionally resilient — a sanctuary shaped by the very landscape.