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You must have noticed, I'm not there alone
You may have noticed, I am not there alone.
House in Santo André- Bahia Brazil
What shaped me was time,
the soil
the sun.
I squirm,
I unfold,
I’m looking for something,
What is the logic of what is essential to me?
I approach the ground,
I tirelessly look at the stars
spring after spring
I look for water
I shelter in myself,
shelter others,
who knows.
In this unstable existence I move without moving.
By my side,
strange presences take shape,
figures of myself unfold into fragments of something that didn’t exist here before.
The birds told me,
I did not believe,
but these other bodies were born from the ground and not from the sky.
…
The project was commissioned by a private client seeking a summer retreat in a rural setting. From the outset, the intention was to create a house that fostered a close relationship with the surrounding landscape, emphasizing lightness, transparency, and a strong sense of place. The result is a single-family residence designed for seasonal use, offering a contemplative space for rest and reconnection with nature.
One of the central premises of the design was the preservation of the site’s existing vegetation—particularly the large cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale), native to Brazil and of great ecological and cultural value. Rather than clearing the land, the architecture was developed around these trees, allowing them to define the spatial configuration of the house. The structure lightly touches the ground, avoiding major alterations to the terrain and maintaining the natural character of the site.
The construction combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques. A mixed structural system of prefabricated glued laminated timber (Glulam) and steel columns allowed for precise assembly and reduced on-site construction time. The lightweight structure minimized the need for deep foundations, further protecting the root systems of the native trees.
A key material innovation lies in the use of ceramic bricks produced on-site by local artisans, using clay sourced from the region. This not only reduced transportation emissions but also contributed to the building’s thermal mass and connection to local building traditions. The façades are composed of custom-made glass panels, fabricated through artisanal processes specifically for this house. These panels allowed for non-standard dimensions and subtle variations in transparency and reflection, reinforcing the idea of an architecture that is both exacting and organic.
Sustainability was addressed through material choices, passive environmental strategies, and the engagement of local labor and resources. Certified timber, on-site brick production, and passive climate control strategies—such as thermal mass—contributed to a low-impact construction process.
Rather than imposing a rigid architectural gesture, the house emerges from a process attentive to context, ecology, and the gestures of making. The result is a residence that balances innovation and tradition, permanence and lightness—anchored to place while open to transformation.
Location Santa Cruz Cabrália - Bahia, Brazil
Design years: from 2023 to 2025
Construction years: from 2024 to 2025
Project team: Gustavo Utrabo
Fernanda Britto, Paula Quintas, Lucas Costa, Gabriel Dias, Ana Luisa Liesegang, Julia Frenk, Giulia Mirabella, Maïa Bexkens, Thomas Butler, Mae Smith, Keith Wiley
Program: Single-family housing
Materials: Glulam and Steel structure, Hand-made ceramic bricks, Custom glass
Site Area: 1385m²
Building Area: 644m²
Photography: Rory Gardiner, Gustavo Utrabo