Belo Horizonte-based Tetro Arquitetura e Engenharia has completed the Inclined Slab House, a contemporary residence on a steep slope with full-height windows that blur the boundary between indoors and out. Set parallel to the terrain’s natural topography, the glass-walled home is defined by an angled concrete roofline that gives the abode its sculptural appeal. The home also forgoes the enclosure of walls and fencing typical to the area to allow for free movement of wildlife around the house, creating what the architects call “ecological corridors.”
Elevated off the ground, the Inclined Slab House features an L-shaped floor plan spanning an area of 3,100 square feet that’s protected from the slope by a curved stone retaining wall framing a grassy backyard. An open-plan living, dining and kitchen area takes up one side of the home, while the other half houses three en suite bedrooms, all of which enjoy floor-to-ceiling views of the mountains and the city of Belo Horizonte in the distance. Above these spaces is the “terrace” that sits at-level with the road, where the parking pad and main entrance are located. Two pillars protrude from the terrace to support the concrete slab that provides shade and solar protection to the spaces below and includes an observation deck and an outdoor pool.
“Further down the slab slopes downward, connecting to the terrace where the pool and the large wooden deck are located, which defines the main spaces of the ground floor,” the architects explained. “The deck covers the whole course of the slab, shading it and hiding the inverted beams, giving lightness to the whole structure. There are no barriers or fences on the ground floor. The house is inserted in the neighborhood as light and permeable element, counterpointing the set of fences and walls that are so regular in the surrounding. This strategy transforms the free areas around the house into ecological corridors, allowing the free circulation of wildlife on the ground.”
Related: This elevated prefab home in Chile takes in striking volcano views
Surrounded by glass, the home is filled with natural light and views throughout. The interiors are outfitted in a muted and natural material palette to complement the surroundings, while furnishings are kept minimal so as to not detract from the landscape.
+ Tetro Arquitetura e Engenharia
Via ArchDaily
Photography by Jomar Bragança via Tetro Arquitetura e Engenharia
