This Architect Couple’s Concrete Home in Brazil Sits Above a Wine Tasting Room

ByMyProperty Life

Surrounded by mountainous views, this home seamlessly integrates commercial and residential space through a unified material palette and a breezy open plan.

The upper floor terrace is the same width as the living room and kitchen. Large glass doors offer the opportunity to open the living room completely to the terrace.

When young architect couple Marcos Franchini and Nattalia Bom Conselho were looking for an apartment to buy several years ago in Belo Horizonte—the sixth-largest city in Brazil—they were deterred by high property prices. Instead of compromising, they approached Franchini’s parents, who owned an empty block of land nearby the protected natural area of Serra do Curral, and made a deal—the couple would design a home for themselves that featured a commercial space for Franchini’s father to teach wine tasting classes. 

Casa Comiteco is located on a corner site with a steep decline close to the protected Serra do Curral area, which is known for beautiful mountain views.

Casa Comiteco is located on a corner site with a steep decline close to the protected Serra do Curral area, which is known for beautiful mountain views.

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

Lucas Cancela

3D section of Casa Comiteco by Marcos Franchini and Nattalia Bom Conselho showing how the residential space sits on top of the commercial space.

Casa Comiteco, as the home is known, is situated on a steep site, and due to the proximity to a protected area, the footprint had to be relatively minimal. Instead of seeing this as a disadvantage, however, Franchini and Conselho saw it as a possibility to arrange the different functions of the building over two levels, each with their own street entrance. 

The home sits on a sloped site and has two entrances on the street side – one on the upper level to the residence, and one on the lower level to the wine tasting room.

The home sits on a sloped site and has two entrances on the street side – one on the upper level to the residence, and one on the lower level to the wine tasting room.

Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

Lucas Cancela

See the full story on Dwell.com: This Architect Couple’s Concrete Home in Brazil Sits Above a Wine Tasting Room
Related stories:

  • How This Australian Beach House Connects to the Coast Is on a Whole Other Level
  • Top 5 Homes of the Week With Captivating Staircases
  • A Toronto Annex House Glimmers With Mondrian-Inspired Stained Glass

Similar Posts

  • PDC House

    The design strategy of this house is based on a commitment to artisanal constructive honesty, the respect towards natural context in an urban area, and the constant search for a way of inhabiting where material austerity provides spatial quality. The main body of the house is located in the southern boundary of the land, respecting the 3 preexisting fruit trees on the north side and taking advantage of the best ventilation and natural light possible. The program, which includes 2 bedrooms, social area, a family room and services, is condensed in a monolithic block to reduce its footprint. As a main strategy, the upper roof tilts 21 degrees, prioritizing the northern bedroom spaces and reducing the southern service spaces. The subtraction and rotation of a middle segment generates a shift in between the upper floor bedrooms, allowing cross ventilation, as well as the accommodation of rooftop equipment and the plumbing and electrical ducting. In section, the composition allows the circulation of north-south winds, cooling the kitchen by the hot air escape achieved through height differences. The constructive solution contemplates material honesty in all the elements. The concrete walls on ground floor, pured with recycled formwork, give an imperfect finish consistent with the roof’s austerity, but contrasted with the cleanliness and volumetric continuity of the upper floor finish. To reduce economic impact, ceiling and floor finishings and tilings were completely eliminated using bare concrete floors and, in order to express the constructive and structural performance, the roofs use a system of bare concrete joists in combination with vaulted pieces, designed and manufactured using a mold made with local artisan blacksmithing.