House in Leblon / AGENCIA TPBA

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Text description provided by the architects.This idyllic house in the sky is situated in the middle of a dense urban block, yet set on a hanging plot 25 meters above the ground. The 20x10m green perimeter, made of a precise modular structure of steel profiles and built-in planters, acts as a filter that mediates the inside/outside visual relationship. It creates the necessary intimacy for the internal “oasis” in contrast with the chaotic urban context of close neighboring buildings, while simultaneously enhancing the background presence of the landscape of Rio de Janeiro and the sky.Additionally, an open area composed of wooden and grass surfaces completes the garden together with an outdoor shower. In the middle of this space, a mirrored cylinder conceals the presence of a large volume of technical ventilation, while at the same time providing space for a maintenance cabinet.Conceived as an indeterminate interior, this house has no fixed functions or activities. Perhaps this is not a house, but rather a refuge to enjoy free time—an alternative kind of luxury where the urban inhabitant can escape the city while being in the middle of it.A part of this interior space is covered by a light glass roof, delimiting a solarium pavilion undercovered by a wooden grille, enabling the inhabitants to enjoy daylight while being protected from direct sun and rain. The double columns made of mirror-polished stainless steel tubes support the roof, leaving the structural axis free for the passage of a system of frameless sliding glass panels that enclose the space. The threshold moment of access occurs through an opening in the green perimeter, connecting to an existing room equipped with a small kitchen, a toilet, and an atelier.