A man in Brazil approached Terra e Tuma Architects to rebuild his mother's dilapidated house on the outskirts of São Paulo. Designed for Ms. Dalva, a person of few means, ‘Vila Matilde House’ was rebuilt using standard concrete blocks and decorated with plenty of trees and plants. The economically viable dwelling was built in a short period of time and won ArchDaily's 'Building of the year (2016)' competition.
When Terra e Tuma Architects arrived to Ms. Dalva’s old home, the building had severe structural and sanitary problems. But she didn’t want to sell the only home she knew to move into a small apartment in a different district. The first stage of the project required carefully demolishing the old house — a complicated process that lasted four months — while simultaneously adding new foundations.
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Vila Matilde House was rebuilt in just 10 months with affordable concrete blocks and named after the neighborhood in which it stands. Ms. Dalva’s new, minimalistic, 3-storey home maximizes the site’s narrow constraints and features a living room, washroom, kitchen, laundry and bedroom on the ground level displayed around a central courtyard.
The second floor accommodates the living room, and a guest room and vegetable garden on teh rooftop terrace crown the entire home. The architects said Vila Matilde House comprised “a simple solution, result of a long, complex and gratifying process.”
Via ArchDaily
Images by Pedro Kok courtesy of Terra e Tuma Arquitetos
