Jaragua is a project designed in 2012 by Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados, covers an area of 1,200m² and is located in Alphaville, São Paulo, Brazil.
A house where the sense of breadth were manifested continuously and permanently. That was the guiding thread in this architecture & interiors project by Fernanda Marques to meet the brief of a young couple and their two children, now the happy occupants of this comfortable property built along contemporary lines, with its three floors and an area of 1,200 in Alphaville, a residential district in the outskirts of São Paulo.
“All my choices were made with that goal”, explains the architect, who, for the construction, chose to split the building into 3 floors and made liberal use of terraces throughout the top floor, to enable views of the beautiful landscape that surrounds the hill on which the house sits. “For the interiors, in turn, I envisioned broad spaces, developed continually, with no partitions”, she says.
Thus, on the ground floor, Fernanda concentrated the living-room, fireplace room, dining-room, media room and breakfast room, as well as the kitchen, study, the multi-temperature, cloakroom, guest toilet and servants’ quarters. An invitation to leisure, a large swimming-pool opens up to the front terrace. On the upper floor is the family area, with 3 suites and their balconies and a family room. On the lower floor are the garage, storage room and a small workshop.
Contemporary, like the building itself, art and design mix in the interior design to create a laid-back yet sophisticated ambience. “I tried to create a sort of internal topography, with the furniture laid out continuously, with small variations in height, almost at floor level”, explains the architect who used her own creations, such as her stainless steel stools, as well as international design labels in the décor.
Common to all spaces, the higher ceilings are one of the project’s highlights. Especially in the living-room, where it is doubled. “In this project natural daylight is present everywhere but never directly. There are very specific lighting situations, derived from the construction shape and project solutions”, Fernanda explains, highlighting the façade, fitted with aluminium brise soleil in a continuous line.
Essential in achieving the daylighting aimed by the architect, the choice of coverings – both internal and external – was made in neutrals – shades of white and sand; that are present, for example, in the limestone on the floors, in the white acrylic paint on the walls and the walnut veneer panels. The deep indigo blue swimming-pool acts as an accent, “but there is no clash”, explains Fernanda.
Photographer: Fernando Guerra