Rio Bonito House
Rio Bonito House is a weekend home located in Rio Bonito de Cima, a mountain region east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The proximity of the river was a significant factor in the siting of the project.
Two stone bearing walls of 1.10 meters in thickness support four steel beams which carry the roof and floor joists.
Two voids puncture the roof at either end of the structure, washing the interior surface of the stone bearing walls with light and creating a stark contrast between the weight of the structure and lightness of the roof and floor which float above the rough ground.
In contrast to the floor to ceiling glazing offering views to the river at the front façade, openings at the back façade give vertical continuity to the large openings above. As the house is suspended from the ground, it is protected from moisture and weather while maintaining a visual connection to the river.
The structural stone walls are circulation routes to a roof top garden at the exterior and contain a fireplace and wood burning stove at the interior, further extrapolating the notion of solid versus void.
Water and fire, weight and lightness, archaic and modern coexist in the cosmology of this habitat.
