Bentes House by CoDA Arquitetos in Brazil

Project: Bentes House
Architects: CoDA Arquitetos
Location: Brazil
Area: 3,939 sq ft
Photos: Joana Franca

Bentes House by CoDA Arquitetos

The Bentes House is a modern residence integrated with landscaped outdoor spaces. Maximum privacy is provided from the street, while the rear side focuses on internal-external space. The project was developed by CoDA Arquitetos, also known for the 11 House project in Brazil.

A modern house with large spaces, integrated with the landscape, socially active and full of regional references. The house project aimed to embody these concepts for a small but expandable family from Paraguay (Brazil). Located in a well-organized and almost completely built cottage community, the house takes into account the local climate and context, using a beautiful view of the nearby valley to the north.

The main principle for this housing was the use of local building codes aimed at better space utilization and integration with the street landscape. In the community, a 5-meter front setback cannot be fenced off, creating a pleasant and safe street with well-visible house facades that ensure social integration. However, upon inspection of the site, one can notice the constant presence of open garages and exposed cars. To avoid this situation and ensure close connection between vehicles and the main services of the house, the garage was placed in the central part of the plot on the right side. Thus, located next to the recreational center of the house, the garage becomes a convenient daily passage but with the possibility of repurposing for celebrations.

The choice of southeast orientation for the rooms on the upper terrace influenced the placement of a 3.3-meter side setback for vehicle access to the right of the plot, as well as the non-use of the left side where the house adjoins the first-floor wall. This side passage organizes the functional distribution of the house in a linear volume on the first floor, which covers almost the entire length of the 40-meter plot. There is an office/guest room, a bathroom for disabled people, a kitchen — positioned as the functional center of the house — integrated with a barbecue and service area, garage, and a separate enclave with a shower room, small storeroom, and dependency.

Differently from this line, the upper volume is oriented perpendicularly, forming a T-shaped layout. In this part of the house, oriented from southwest (front side) to northeast (rear), internal social zones — dining room, living room and home cinema — are located on the first floor, while the couple's bedroom is on the upper level.

To create a volumetric difference between two parts of the house and increase visual integration, the central part of the house features a double right projection from the main entrance to the recreational zone. The void that results serves simultaneously as an organizer, directing flow and circulation, and a landmark visible from all rooms of the house.

The premise for spatial fluidity was linking the continuity of internal and external spaces. For this, exterior areas were divided into three parts with different scales. In the front part near the main entrance, an internal courtyard serves as a second living room, external but more intimate due to the house itself acting as a boundary and green wall — a kind of living fence/panel made from pots of maracuja (typical northern Brazil ceramic product) and various plants. Behind — a larger collective relaxation area visually connected to the upper terrace — an area on the main linear volume where one can enjoy the best view of the beautiful valley surrounding the community. To emphasize this view, the rear part of the house is slightly tilted, aiming to align with visual and subsequent topological connection to the surroundings.

–CoDA Arquitetos