The Portobello House project starts from the interlocution between a topography that, concomitantly, shapes and is shaped by architecture. Conceived by the architect Marcelo Moura, from the Rio de Janeiro office Tripper Arquitetura, the residence is composed of a succession of overlapping plans, each one starting from the encounter with the ground to launch itself in cantilever, a fact that ends up establishing a double condition: The Portobello House is contiguous to the land, providing a perception of single-story house on all floors, while the floors become slabs in suspension, that is, terraces in height. Through them, the architectural proposition approaches the tradition of the great Brazilian colonial house – the house surrounded by the generous porch. These solariums and balconies are the intermediation between the intimate spaces of the house and the exuberant natural landscape that surrounds it. Section
Located in Mangaratiba, on the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, the steep terrain is just a few minutes from the beach, but not in its view. What is unveiled is the vast mountain panorama, with a sequence of mountains covered by the Atlantic Forest. Portobello House is respectful of the existing nature of the land: it occupies a relatively small area of the lot, with little land movement, and uses constructive methods – especially the metallic structure – that minimize activities In loco and the size of the construction site.
Photography: Den...