Integration with nature is the focus at Perkins+Will's home in Ribeirão Preto

A difficult terrain with a steep slope gave way to a modern house connected to nature designed by the firm Perkins + Will. In Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, the challenge was to incorporate the principles of biophilic design into the construction of the residence for a young couple and their two children. As biophilia suggests, the most important purpose of the project was to reconnect the clients with nature, increasing interaction with the external environment in the best possible way. Thus, the residence was divided into two volumes connected to each other in an L shape, in which all rooms have access to the gardens. Situated on the upper part of the land, the house was built with a combination of wood, steel, concrete and glass. The architects knew how to balance the elements so that the residence was modern, yet welcoming and familiar.

The first block is intended for the main entrance and constitutes the common areas. This portion also provides a roof over the other, in order to increase the isolation between the areas and clearly delineate the private and public spaces. Retractable glass walls, vertical wood panels and a green roof over the second volume were arranged to keep nature in view and increase ventilation in all areas. A suspended pool was installed over the slope, completing the project's setting of lush gardens, concrete surfaces and wooden plains.