BTE – Casa Machado: Redefining the Relationship Between Interior Spaces and the Surrounding Nature

Project Location and Urban Context

The BTE – Casa Machado project is situated on a plot measuring 13 meters in width and 44 meters in depth, resulting from the subdivision of a former palace garden. The surrounding residential neighborhood is characterized by traditional houses, providing a rich architectural context that connects the project to local heritage and informs its design direction.

Design Philosophy and Interior Spaces

The residence reflects a commitment to creating a sensitive living environment, with the design aiming to break up the compact building mass through the introduction of multiple internal courtyards. These courtyards serve as a means to expand the perception of space and establish visual and functional connections between the interior areas and the surrounding greenery, enhancing harmony between humans and nature.

Harmony Between Space and Nature

Through the use of internal courtyards, a delicate balance is achieved between privacy and engagement with the external environment. These spaces also allow natural light and ventilation, contributing to improved quality of life within the home and creating a healthier, more comfortable living experience.

Study of House Orientation and Sunlight Impact

The study of the house’s orientation revealed that the rear façade faces north, which served as a fundamental factor in determining natural light control strategies. Accordingly, extended roof beams were designed on the ground floor with sufficient length to provide effective protection for the interior spaces from direct summer sunlight, while allowing winter light to penetrate and enhance natural illumination and thermal comfort.

Transition Between Interior and Exterior

These beams act as a transitional mediator between inside and outside, integrating with the large windows distributed across the ground-floor rooms to facilitate natural ventilation and ensure balanced light distribution. This design enhances the living experience, making the transition between interior and exterior spaces smoother.

Privacy and Light Control on the Upper Floor

On the upper floor, sliding wooden screens were incorporated to enhance privacy and regulate the amount of light entering the more private areas. These screens provide flexibility in adjusting natural lighting, balancing privacy with user comfort, while adding both functional and aesthetic value to the design.

Central Organization of Spaces

The ground and upper floors are organized around a central atrium that acts as a core connecting the various areas of the house. This layout enhances smooth circulation between functional spaces and internal courtyards, providing clear pathways that facilitate natural and comfortable movement throughout the home.

Enhancing Indoor-Outdoor Connectivity

The living and dining areas feature floor-to-ceiling openings facing the rear façade and the central courtyard. These openings not only allow natural light to penetrate the interior but also integrate the surrounding greenery with the indoor design, unifying the built environment with nature.

A Dynamic Spatial Experience

This design solution creates a dynamic and fluid spatial experience, emphasizing continuous visual connections with the natural surroundings and enhancing the sense of openness and spaciousness. Through this relationship between interior and exterior, residents experience a constant connection with the environment, improving quality of life and imparting a renewed character to the interior spaces.

Kitchen Design and Functionality

The kitchen is designed in a simple and practical style, harmonizing with the rest of the house and reflecting the design philosophy focused on openness and connectivity between spaces. It is directly connected to the dining and living areas, creating a sense of continuity and facilitating daily movement within the home.

Central Island and Storage Unit

The space features a central island that serves as the functional and social heart of the kitchen, providing an area for work and interaction with other household members. In addition, a vertical storage unit and an extended countertop toward the dining area are integrated, enhancing the connection between the kitchen and adjacent spaces while offering high efficiency for daily use. More details on building materials used in similar designs can be found in the archive.

Material Character and Aesthetic Identity

The material character of the house is expressed through the use of exposed reinforced concrete and wood, defining the building’s aesthetic and structural identity. The strong and noble texture of the concrete, a distinctive feature in modern architectural projects, is balanced by the warmth and delicacy of the wood, creating a harmonious contrast that enriches the living experience both visually and functionally.

Integration of Nature and Spaces

Incorporating greenery into the extension areas enhances harmony between the interior design and the surrounding environment, highlighting a sensitive and balanced lifestyle. Through this combination, the design interacts with the natural environment, blending contemporary architecture with nature to create a spatial experience that unites functionality and beauty.

Enhancing Connection with the Natural Landscape

This approach provides a profound sense of connection with the surrounding natural landscape, where interior spaces become an extension of the outdoor environment. Thus, a design is achieved that emphasizes both functionality and beauty while enhancing residents’ living experience and psychological comfort.

Material Character and Architectural Identity

The material character of the house is expressed through the use of exposed reinforced concrete and wood, defining the building’s aesthetic and structural identity. Here, the strong and noble texture of the concrete, a hallmark of modern architectural projects, is balanced by the warmth and delicacy of the wood, creating a harmonious contrast that adds both visual and functional depth to the spaces.

Harmony Between Nature and Design

Integrating greenery into the extension areas enhances this contrast and establishes a sensitive and balanced lifestyle. This integration allows the design to interact with the surrounding environment, unifying contemporary architecture and nature in a spatial experience that combines beauty and functionality.

Enhancing Connection with the Natural Landscape

This approach contributes to a profound connection with the surrounding natural landscape, where interior spaces become an extension of the outdoor environment. In this way, the design achieves a comprehensive living experience focused on comfort and beauty, while maintaining continuous interaction between humans and nature.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

From an architectural standpoint, the BTE – Casa Machado project demonstrates several positive aspects, such as the integration of interior spaces with the surrounding nature, which enhances the sense of openness and natural ventilation, and allows for thoughtful interaction with light and the local climate. However, there remain a number of considerations that could affect the application of this model in other contexts.

For instance, the project’s heavy reliance on internal courtyards and specific solar orientation makes adaptation to different sites or climatic regions more challenging. Additionally, the extensive use of exposed concrete and wood, while creating visual contrast, may pose long-term maintenance and sustainability challenges, especially under direct exposure to weather conditions. Furthermore, the central layout and dependence on large windows could present issues related to privacy and thermal control in other homes or in dense urban environments.

On the other hand, the project offers a replicable or adaptable model for designing small to medium-sized homes aimed at integrating interior spaces with nature. It can serve as a reference for strategies in natural light control and ventilation, or as a basis for rethinking how to create sensory connections between enclosed spaces and the external environment, without compromising principles of sustainability and functionality. More insights can be found in architectural research and archive studies.