Metálica House | Matheus Farah e Manoel Maia Arquitetura

Matheus Farah e Manoel Maia Arquitetura and Construtora Gaia started a partnership in 2019 in order to develop innovative building methods, based on sustainability and efficiency. The idea was to reduce construction time and costs while fighting against waste generation, typical of the traditional construction process. The first result of this initiative can be appreciated in a large land in a residential resort near São Paulo capital, where Metálica House is based.

More than a simple combination of prefabricated pillars and beams, the method allows the
composition of complete rooms, with installations, framings, closures and coating, by using wooden, cement and steel prefab components. In this sense, the proposal is to prioritize industrial materials, evoking them as a part of a rational, agile and clean building process, and combining them with elements that convey comfort and warmth to those who live in the house.

From that, it is possible to explore multiple plan arrangements, combining rooms according to the project requirements (and preferences) of each client. Therefore, this model is just one of the many possibilities of construction solutions available, in which peculiarities of the land – North orientation and topography, mainly – and singularities of the owner family can provide a unique personality within a standard elements system.

Located on Fazenda Boa Vista, a residential complex strongly marked by the natural landscape, the house establishes a harmonious relation with its surroundings, in a way that it can be appreciated from both social and private areas - without compromising privacy. For this, the house was set in a “L” shaped implantation, settling the layout in 3 blocks under the same roof.

As a result, the preservation of visual axes was achieved, with a free view of the green fields.
The blocks that make up the house volumetry were designated based on the main functions of their rooms. The first block, the technical one, includes areas that guarantee the functioning of the residence, such as the kitchen, laundry room and storage. In this way, they are introduced with discretion, in an introspective way - except for the kitchen, which opens to the dining room.
Meanwhile, the second block is designated for recreation and relaxation areas to the owners and
guests; even though it is less guarded than the services block, it maintains the intimacy and tranquility required. Sauna, massage room and hot tub area are interconnected by slatted wooden panels that can control the level of privacy desired.The home theater, given its specific usage, is in a more reserved area, providing the comfort and silence needed.

Finally, the third block is reserved for the most private place of the house, where five suites are placed. While the master suite has a private veranda, the others have verandas facing the pool.
Together, the 3 blocks are guarded under a single metallic roof that not only guarantees protection and shelter, but also works as an articulator element to the house layout organization – creating, in the reminiscent spaces between blocks, generous social and permanence areas. Integrated, these spaces keep a straight connection and flexibility with each other, ensuring a relation with the surrounding landscape through large glass panels and slatted wooden brises-soleil – a key element that can provide comfort, privacy, natural lighting and ventilation on rooms, while also composing the facade, with movement and dynamicity.

Amidst the set of volumes, the large span between blocks originates the social area, with the living and dining rooms connected to a wide external area, only separated by glass panels, without any fixed walls and with only 2 slender pillars framing the landscape. The veranda – a space that mediates inside and outside – has, on one side, a gourmet area with a view to nature; on the other, an indoor garden,which evokes the natural elements from the surroundings, using native plants from Brazilian flora (present throughout the landscaping project). This space also opens the way to the deck, where the pool and whirlpool are located and equipped with sofas and chaises, composing a pleasant living area.

The agility provided by the chosen constructive system allowed the delivery of a fully furnished,
equipped and landscaped house within 10 months after approval of the project, proving the efficiency  of rationalizing the construction method from modular industrial components.