Located in Palo Alto, in the heart of Silicon Valley, within the area known as “Stanford Circle,” Forest House sits in a residential neighborhood characterized by older buildings. The project was commissioned by FAB HOMES, a Brazilian developer with operations in the United States, to create an original residential design that brings together a distinctly Brazilian identity and American construction technologies.

Organized on a single level, the house is structured around a close relationship between its interiors and the surrounding landscape. At the heart of the composition, a generous covered living area opens onto two distinct gardens: one preserves the existing redwoods, native trees that define the character of the site, while the other extends toward the swimming pool. Perpendicular to this volume, the private wing accommodates the bedrooms and other intimate areas, connected by a circulation path screened from the social spaces by vertical timber louvers.

The architecture combines the lightness and openness characteristic of tropical architecture with Californian ways of living and local construction technologies. While timber is one of the region’s primary building systems, it is traditionally concealed behind other finishes. At Forest House, however, it takes center stage. The exposed glulam (glue-laminated timber) structure supports the expansive roof, revealing the building’s construction logic while bringing warmth and a sense of comfort to the interiors.

Between the Californian landscape and a distinctly Brazilian way of living, Forest House establishes a dialogue between different building cultures, bringing together technology, materiality, and a strong connection to its surroundings.