Nestled on a steep lot within an environmental protection condominium in São Roque, Brazil, Casa 258 embodies the guiding principle of architect Pedro Cornetta, founder of Cornetta Arquitetura: designing in harmony with place — occupying land and landscape with subtlety and respect.
The residence was carefully positioned to avoid interference with the native forest covering the upper half of the site, settling instead at its mid-level, where no trees were present. The result is an architecture that, on one side, opens to the sunset and the surrounding valley, its façade glowing in golden hues as the light strikes the concrete, and on the other side, merges into a shaded forest, softly lit by filtered light through the canopy.
Two projects in one
This dual condition of the site translated into a volumetric challenge that shaped the project’s language: from the forest side, the house appears single-story, while from the street, it reveals two levels. Each façade responds to distinct conditions — light, scale, and use — as though two projects were layered together. The outcome is a composition of complex harmony, balancing diverse scales and materials with clarity and precision.
The lower floor, visible only from the front façade, is constructed entirely of exposed concrete and rough stone. This solid base accommodates the garage, support areas, and retaining walls, while also supporting the slab of the solarium and pool — a monolithic block of in-situ cast concrete suspended at the center of the composition.
The pool, featuring a frontal glass panel, is one of the project’s defining elements: a symbiosis between architecture and engineering. Conceived as a single concrete block, it integrates glass as both structural and aesthetic material, making its presence striking to those who view the house from the street. The gesture is both technical and expressive, bringing water into the architectural language without decorative artifice.
Above this heavy foundation rests the main volume of the house — a linear prism of steel structure and charred wood panels, combining prefabricated systems with artisanal techniques in a delicate balance between the light and the robust. The structural logic subtly inverts expectations: slender steel columns in the garage support the heavy slab, while the light steel-and-wood roof seems to float above the concrete base. The composition reveals formal and technical tensions resolved into an elegant, cohesive whole.
The main entrance is accessed via a staircase leading to the upper level. The floor plan is organized as a unified pavilion: a single rectangular volume divided by charred pine panels that envelop the entire private area — three en-suite bedrooms aligned in sequence. Opposite them, the living spaces unfold: living room, dining room, and kitchen fully integrated, with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that enhance natural light and open the house to its surroundings.
The use of charred wood, with its dark tones created by the Shou Sugi Ban technique, establishes a striking presence. The material also creates a strong contrast with the warm, light tones of the ceiling and floors, both made of Tauari wood. This duality extends to the social areas, where the flooring is finished in nude-toned microcement. Natural wood veneer cabinetry reinforces the cohesive aesthetic.
Architecture with presence and purpose
More than a constructive solution, Casa 258 is a manifesto on architecture as a narrative of contrasts — between shadow and light, forest and valley, weight and lightness. A project that unites technical rigor, plastic sensitivity, and a commitment to responsible land use.
Its value lies less in the display of its construction systems than in the precision of its gestures: in the design that respects its place, in the composition that balances matter and air, in the silent elegance permeating every detail. An architecture that impresses effortlessly — through proportion, intelligence, and the way it integrates with the landscape.
Team:
Architecture Team: Pedro Cornetta, Renan Antiqueira, Luigi Borges
Concrete Structural Design: DRC Engenharia
Steel Structural Design: Grupo RP
Hydraulic Engineering: Latar Engenharia
Electrical Engineering: Latar Engenharia
Construction: Cazes
Steel Structure Execution: Grupo RP
Photography: João Paulo Soares
Filming: Archview, João Paulo Soares, Pedro Cornetta
