Perched atop a mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro’s coastline, A Nave opens itself to the horizon through an unexpected gesture. Designed by Mareines Arquitetura, the residence proposes a light and integrated living experience, where architecture merges with the landscape and the sea becomes a natural extension of the home.

A key element of the proposal, the expansive wooden pergola envelops and covers the entire building, functioning as a second architectural skin. Conceived to withstand Rio de Janeiro’s intense sunlight, it regulates light incidence, creates shaded areas, and casts a dynamic interplay of light across the volumes throughout the day. Beyond climatic protection, the pergola establishes a continuous relationship between structure and landscape, giving the project a mutable condition that remains sensitive to its surroundings.

Fixed metal brise-soleils complement this environmental strategy. Responsible for filtering light, enabling cross ventilation, and ensuring privacy, they contribute to the passive cooling of the interiors while also acting as frames for the landscape, revealing different nuances of the view according to the sun’s position.

The building’s sinuous lines follow the natural curves of the mountain, while suspended gardens, wooden decks, and polished concrete floors create almost imperceptible transitions between indoors and outdoors. The space is organized without visual barriers, inviting the eye to perceive the project and the landscape as a single composition.

The mixed steel-and-concrete structure gives the project its overall lightness, allowing for expansive glass openings along the building’s entire perimeter. Photovoltaic panels reduce dependence on energy supplied by the local utility provider. Internally, the wooden slatted ceiling reinforces the material continuity with the pergola, while the restored vegetation on the ocean-facing terraces enhances the architectural mimicry that defines A Nave.