House in Catembe

The intervention stems from recognizing the pre-existing structure as an active material of the project. The existing house is rehabilitated and integrated into the new complex as an autonomous guest and social hub, while the new construction houses the primary residential program. The distance between the two volumes preserves the identity of each building, establishing a complementary relationship between permanence and transformation.

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The spatial organization answers the desire to gather an extended family and a large group of friends, balancing collective living and privacy. The different hubs are distributed around the garden, terraces, and pool, which play a central role in unifying the complex. In the new house, private spaces occupy the ground floor, while the upper floor is conceived as an expansive social area where the kitchen, dining, and living spaces flow continuously into balconies, terraces, and the roof. The dwelling is thus no longer understood as a single object, but rather constructed as a sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces capable of accommodating diverse forms of gathering.

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The response to the tropical climate and southern hemisphere location dictates the orientation, volumetry, and envelope configuration. Solar control on the northern facade is managed through shaded transition zones, terraces, and filtering screens, mitigating direct exposure on interior spaces. The layout of openings fosters cross-ventilation and harnesses the prevailing southern winds, while elevating the social spaces enhances connection with breezes, surrounding vegetation, and landscape views. Architecture thus seeks to create comfort through shade, airflow, and seamless continuity with the outdoors.