Bloco Arquitetos has created an extra storey for a family home in Brasília by adding a stilted concrete structure that incorporates panels of perforated brickwork.

The local practice designed Casa Grid for a client who had bought a large lot containing an existing property in the Lago Sul neighbourhood of the Brazilian capital.

The architects were tasked with adapting and expanding the existing single-storey house to suit the lifestyle of its new occupants.
The previous owner had initially planned a much larger two-storey building and had laid extensive foundations, but had run out of money and so constructed a small bungalow with a pitched roof.

The clients purchased the property because of its central location in a quiet residential area and the generous plot, which offered an opportunity to expand while reusing some of the existing building to reduce costs.
"The intention here was to build a bigger house in the same lot with a budget that was 35 per cent lower than what was expected for a brand new home," said Bloco Arquitetos.
"The idea to lower the final cost of the construction was to take advantage of the existing structure and reuse part of the existing walls."

Both existing and new foundations were used to support a concrete grid that extends out from the original building.
"The new grid works as a graft, connecting old walls and new ones and supporting the additional programme of the extension," explained the architects.
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