Casa Ouro Velho Project: Rethinking the Relationship Between Architecture and Natural Terrain

Site and Topographical Challenges

Casa Ouro Velho is located on a steep slope in the Nova Lima region of Minas Gerais. This site presents a unique architectural challenge, requiring the design to respond directly to the natural terrain while maintaining the project’s balance within its surrounding environment.

Dialogue Between Architecture and Nature

The house is organized across multiple levels that follow the contours of the land, allowing for a continuous dialogue between the building and nature. This approach highlights the relationship between architectural design and the natural landscape, enabling residents to experience the various spaces smoothly and in harmony with the environment.

Preservation of Natural Elements

A prominent aspect of the project is the attention given to the larger native trees on the site. The design incorporates precise finishes and construction techniques that prioritize the preservation of these natural elements, reflecting a clear respect for the surrounding rainforest and enhancing environmental sustainability.

Visual Integration with the Landscape

The clients aimed to create a residence fully integrated visually with the surrounding mountains, focusing on maximizing panoramic views. This goal was a key factor in design decisions, particularly regarding the building’s placement and the distribution of spaces.

Regulatory Constraints and Their Impact on Design

Local legislation reinforced this approach, allowing vegetation removal from only one-third of the 1,000-square-meter plot. Consequently, respecting the existing vegetation became a fundamental requirement in the planning process, compelling designers to think in a sustainable and environmentally integrated manner.

Economic Challenges and Architectural Solutions

In addition to natural and regulatory constraints, the limited budget posed an extra challenge. Careful placement of windows and spatial organization was necessary to optimize the size of the residence and maximize the investment. Economic and aesthetic solutions were also adopted, such as differentiating building volumes using color instead of costly materials or cladding. This strategy helped preserve the visual appeal of the design without compromising financial efficiency.

Topographical Gradient and Internal Circulation

The social areas face north to take advantage of the natural mountain view. The circulation path begins at the entrance and gradually progresses toward the rear terrace, accommodating changes in elevation step by step. This gradient helps reduce earthwork costs and the environmental impact associated with soil modification.

Circulation Axis and Interior Layout

The building is accessed via a main horizontal axis, which shifts at the living room to a central axis for vertical circulation of the program. This strategy allows for efficient organization of spaces, with the private area positioned half a level higher, while the social areas are half a level lower. This creates an internal contrast, enabling double-height ceilings and expansive spaces.

Open Views and the Upper Floor

On the upper floor, the open circulation leading to the bedrooms provides distinctive views of the surrounding landscape, enhancing the sense of connection with the outdoors and completing the residential experience in harmony with the natural scenery.

Solar Orientation and Environmental Comfort

The solar orientation was carefully designed to enhance environmental comfort within the house. The bedrooms face south to ensure cool indoor spaces during hot seasons, while the master suite and social areas face east and north to maximize natural light and surrounding views.

Shading Solutions and Privacy

The west-facing façade, overlooking the street, features painted concrete Cobogo panels that filter the setting sun’s rays. This technique ensures thermal comfort at the entrance and prevents direct views of cars in the garage, combining aesthetic and functional aspects simultaneously.

Roof and Connection to the Surroundings

The butterfly roof with a black metal structure and broad deck enhances the protection of the façades while reflecting the design intent to achieve maximum openness to the surrounding environment, maintaining natural ventilation and visual comfort.

Engagement with the Site and Sustainability

Casa Ouro Velho exemplifies architecture that effectively interacts with its site. It relies on precise positioning and intelligent bioclimatic solutions to celebrate the landscapes of Minas Gerais. The project also demonstrates the possibility of reconciling a contemporary residential program with a limited budget while preserving respect for the surrounding rainforest.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The project presents several noteworthy positive aspects, such as precise interaction with the natural terrain and the use of a multi-level design to provide open views and natural ventilation. This approach reflects environmental awareness and a commitment to user comfort within the available resources. The internal organization across different levels offers a varied spatial experience, which can serve as a reference for understanding how topographical differences can be leveraged in residential design.

However, several potential reservations emerge when examining the project from a broader architectural perspective. For instance, the multi-level layout may impose accessibility and circulation challenges, particularly for older adults or people with mobility needs. The level variations may also limit the flexibility of space usage in the future. Additionally, the heavy reliance on color differentiation and visual separation of building volumes, rather than more interactive solutions, might reduce adaptability to changes in use or future expansion. Finally, despite the attention given to preserving native vegetation, the limited site area and regulatory constraints make achieving an ideal balance between the building and nature a continuing challenge, offering an important lesson for future projects.

From an architectural standpoint, the project can be used as an example of integrating design with the terrain and surrounding environment, while being mindful of the site and budget limitations. It also serves as a model for understanding how design decisions can consider landscape, solar orientation, and user circulation within multi-level spaces, while highlighting the need for more flexible solutions to mitigate potential constraints.