The Hug House stems from the desire to create an architecture capable of bringing the family closer together and accommodating a routine marked by gatherings, work, rest, and celebrations. The project stems from the understanding that the house should accompany the lives of its residents, creating spaces that favor coexistence without giving up privacy.
This concept manifests initially in the facade, whose large scale translates the gesture of welcoming. The movement surrounds and protects those arriving, anticipating the essence of the house even before accessing the interior. Inside, the idea of an embrace continues through the layout of the rooms, which establishes different possibilities for gathering and staying.
The social spaces were organized in an integrated manner, allowing distinct activities to take place close to one another. The garage, for instance, can be incorporated into the gourmet area when vehicles are not present, expanding the leisure area and providing greater flexibility of use. The office was positioned on its own floor, creating a separation between the work routine and the spaces destined for the family's rest.
Materiality also reinforces the concept. Exposed concrete confers solidity and permanence to the architecture, while natural stones add texture and bring the spaces closer to a more natural language. Earthy tones contribute to a welcoming and timeless atmosphere. The ecological brick receives a new interpretation when used as a cobogó (hollow ventilation brick), functioning as a light and ventilation filter and establishing visual relationships between spaces.
Each design decision therefore stems from a single intention: allowing life to happen more naturally, valuing coexistence and family bonds. More than representing a gesture of hospitality, the House of the Embrace transforms the embrace itself into architecture.
The Hug House was conceived based on a contemporary and timeless architecture, in which the construction techniques and the choice of materials directly participate in the project's expression. Materiality was designed to balance solidity, comfort, and a welcoming feel, establishing a continuous relationship between architecture, natural lighting, and landscape.
Exposed concrete assumes a prominent role in the composition, conferring strength and permanence to the volumes. Natural stones add texture and materiality, while earthy tones warm the rooms and contribute to a more welcoming atmosphere. The combination of these elements creates a sober and timeless language, free of excess.
One of the most prominent elements is the ecological brick, used in an unconventional way. Instead of assuming only a constructive function, the material was reinterpreted as a cobogó, allowing the filtered passage of light and ventilation and creating visual relationships between the environments. Thus, a structural element also plays an important role in the architectural composition.
Natural lighting and ventilation were considered in the organization of spaces and the definition of hollowed elements, contributing to environmental comfort and a closer relationship with outdoor areas. The integration between spaces also appears as a flexibility strategy, especially in the connection between the kitchen, gourmet space, and garage. When vehicles are not present, the garage can be incorporated into the leisure area, expanding the space destined for socialization without the need to increase the built area.
The organization of support rooms was also designed to meet the routine of the house in a functional way, keeping service and circulation areas independent from the main social spaces. In the bedrooms, the architecture was conceived in a timeless manner, allowing the rooms to accompany the different stages of the residents' lives through changes in furniture, decor, and finishing elements.
The combination of exposed concrete, natural stones, ecological brick, hollowed elements, and earthy tones establishes a materiality that seeks to unite permanence, functionality, and comfort. Materials do not appear merely as finishes, but as part of the architecture itself, contributing to the construction of identity, comfort, and the relationship between light, ventilation, and nature.
The spatial configuration of the House of the Embrace stems from the desire to bring the family closer together while preserving the privacy necessary for each resident's routine. The program was organized to create different possibilities for coexistence, with social environments connected to each other and intimate spaces distributed more privately.
On the ground floor, social areas were designed to encourage gathering. The living room, TV room, piano area, kitchen, and gourmet space establish an integrated sequence, expanded by the possibility of incorporating the garage into the leisure area. When vehicles are not present, this space functions as an extension of the social environment, allowing greater flexibility of use without expanding the built area.
On the upper floor, the organization of spaces follows the family's routine. The office was positioned before the intimate area, creating a gradual transition between work, socialization, and rest. The intimate lounge acts as an intermediate and living space, while the suites were organized to guarantee privacy for the residents. The twin daughters' rooms share the same language but allow for different individual expressions.
The house's configuration was therefore achieved from reading the habits and needs of the family. More than separating functions, the layout of the rooms seeks to create relationships between them, allowing architecture to accompany different moments of daily life and favor a closer and more natural way of living in the home.
