The Shutter House

Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, (UFU)

Project idea

The Shutter House embodies a conceptual desire to embrace the natural conditions of the site in the most harmonic way possible. This residence was conceived with a family of three in mind, and has the purpose of tightening the relation between the everyday life and the surrounding nature.

Project description

The house is located in Uberlândia, Brazil, a city with steady warm temperature and low rain levels. The open plan is composed by the common spaces of an entrance hall, living and dining room and a kitchen. The resting space and the more private space are divided by a shallow stream of water that starts at the entrance of the house and crosses the plan up until the pool outside, envigorating the space, providing umidy and adding an extra dimension of comfort and peace. Apart from the common spaces, three bedroom suites face the ample garden, separated from the outside by a long rail of wood shutters that can open the house entirely and provide a complete conexion with the nature outdoors. Finally, the house includes also the space of an atelier in a more private location of the site.
The outdoor of the house was thought about taking as much of productive species as possible. That's why half of the terrain was vegetated as an orchard of productive species, providing the possibility of a sustainable consumption and food production. Also, the location of the project is recognized in the city as a densely vegetated area with thousands of native species, adding an extra layer of importance to the efforts of landscaping and respect to nature. Furthermore, the conexion between constructed and natural is made by a series of uneven wooden decks, providing ample spaces and leading to the pool, which utilises the same water from the stream, made possible by an underground water treatment station that also feed the orchard. A meditation and wellness deck hides itself in the middle of the vegetation, for the family to clear their heads and keep up with healthy excercise habits.
This projects ends up including multiple dimensions that are crucial to the individual wellbeing: a deep respect and conexion with nature and its elements; the integration os spaces that allow a peaceful conviviality, without the intermission into one's personal space; and the instrumentalization of all the natural conditions possible to create environmental comfort, as well as the quality of spaces.

Technical information

The house is made of concrete slabs with textures of polished concrete and wood depending on the space. The structure is proposed in wood, with profiled pilars and beams, considering connections that could be easily dismounted without damaging the sections, for the purposes of posterior use. The outdoor spaces are proposed in treated wood. The project includes a water treatment system that circulates the water from the stream at the entrance to the pool, irrigates the orchard and serves other non-consumable uses. Zenital openings that make use of the obliquous angle of the sun throughout the day, providing comfort, and its orientation also allows the wind, that blows mostly from the northwest, to cross the entire plan, creating a crossed ventilation system that combines with the water stream to umidify and reduce the temperature.

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