Located in a residential condominium in the interior of São Paulo, in the city of Cabreúva , Casa MP has 350 m² of built area, with a construction system using soil-cement/ecological bricks with some exposed concrete and steel elements. It is an ecologically correct and intelligent construction, taking advantage of the best characteristics that this type of material can offer.

Concept: The concept that guided the design of this weekend house was the use of environmentally friendly materials and architecture with a brutalist and industrial style. Our decision was to use ecological brick as the main structural and aesthetic element of the house.

In addition to that, we used exposed concrete, present in the flooring throughout the house, in the exposed panel slab, in the blind gable wall which, besides being a structural element - behaving like a large pillar - serves as a stand for the television, a metal structure - present in the roof of the gourmet veranda, and wood in the veranda ceiling. In the exterior flooring we used ceramic tiles and exposed aggregate concrete around the pool.

The house is arranged in two prismatic volumes – one housing the bedrooms – 5 suites – and the other the social and service areas. To counterbalance this more rustic atmosphere, the straighter, more modernist design of the house provided the balance we needed: a modern, contemporary house, but using rustic elements in their raw/natural state.

The clients' idea was to detach themselves from many finishing materials - we eliminated plaster and paint, and the coverings were only used on the kitchen and bathroom backsplashes. The "less is more" principle was employed, aligning with the ecologically correct concept of the residence.

The house also features a cistern for reusing rainwater collected on the roof for garden and outdoor taps. It includes photovoltaic energy. As the house is for weekend use, the idea was also to design a residence that would require little maintenance for the residents.

Spatiality: The plot, situated in a cul-de-sac with a curved frontage, defined the layout of the residence in two volumes: one longitudinal and the other transversal, both joined by a third volume that defines the main access to the residence and distributes the flows. The longitudinal volume houses the private wing, and the transversal volume includes the social area, leisure area, garage, and services.

The entire structure is composed solely of bricks, wood, exposed concrete, and steel, giving it a raw appearance and contributing to the materiality of the architecture. As with all elements of the residence, the polished concrete floor and exposed concrete slab follow a more brutalist style, creating unity in the whole.

Spatial and Visual Integration Another important aspect of the MP Residence concept is its spatial and visual integration. The living room is connected to the gourmet veranda through a large glass panel that provides integration between the interior and exterior, allowing a full view of the pool and garden. When these doors are opened, the entire social environment is integrated, forming a large meeting space with living room, kitchen, dining room, barbecue area, and veranda. In the living room, a blind exposed concrete gable separates the access hall, which distributes the flow of the residence, from the living room itself, and also serves as a counter for the TV. The gourmet veranda has a steel roof covered with mixed wood paneling, used as a counterpoint to the exposed panel slab present throughout the interior space. 

The facade of the residence features small vertical openings, from floor to ceiling, contributing to the privacy of the residents and also blocking and filtering sunlight, which enters the space creating a beautiful play of light at dusk. On the facade, while maintaining the brickwork, the black paint adds depth and an even more industrial atmosphere, which was one of the clients' requests for this project. The raw steel door, with its porthole handle, was also a client request, bringing this more industrial look to the project, which matches their personality.

Soil-cement brick, concrete and steel. The use of soil-cement bricks contributes to more sustainable construction, since the material is produced without the need for firing in a kiln, and therefore its production does not release gases into the atmosphere. In addition to this factor, the material has high thermal and acoustic performance, and there is no need for mortar for laying, as it is replaced by a special adhesive. There is a reduction of at least 5 degrees Celsius in relation to the external environment, as heat exchange is carried out through the internal holes of the bricks.

Another important factor was the drastic reduction of construction waste. Since we used mostly prefabricated materials – slabs, the bricks themselves which eliminated the need for plastering, steel roofing – in 16 months of construction, only 5 dumpsters of waste were removed from the site, which is very little for a house of this size! Material waste was reduced by at least 40%, thus positively impacting construction time, cost, and the sustainability of the project as a whole.

In this way, we wanted to demonstrate that it is possible to have a modern and contemporary home while respecting and helping nature by using more sustainable materials, generating less impact, and thinking long-term.

The more we think about construction techniques that generate less impact on the environment and that are more prefabricated, the more we evolve the country's construction system as a whole and contribute to the maintenance of the environment, considering the disposal of this construction debris, which generates problems and needs to be rethought more and more.