An Elegant Design Approach: The Vertical House in Brazil

The Vertical House was designed by São Paulo-based studio Isay Weinfeld and is a 3,767 square foot, two-story residence located in São Paulo, Brazil. The brief called for a home especially designed and built for a young single man. Here is more from the architects’ official project description: “Having a full program to consider – besides the usual rooms, the client wished for a guest room, a gym, a swimming pool and caretaker’s quarters -, we decided to build the house vertically and to evolve the rooms upwards on split-levels: a basement, four above-ground floors and a rooftop terrace. Down in the basement are a small gym and sauna. On ground floor, set between an entry court where a cutout in the roof brings natural light in and lets a Yellow Ipê tree to rise up through and grow, and a tiny walled-in garden and swimming pool in the back of the plot, a lofty, double-height living room is the core space in the house.

On mezzanine level, dining room and kitchen overlook the living room below, while a small terrace in the open looks out onto the street. One level up is the master suite with an east-facing balcony; another level above is a guest bedroom with a west-facing balcony. Finally, on the uppermost level, a rooftop terrace crowns the densely packed structure.” We love the simple and elegant design approach for this home and are looking forward to read your thoughts as well. What are the details you find most inspiring?