FG HOUSE

FG House was designed for a condominium about an hour and a half from São Paulo downtown for a couple and their children and arises from the fragmentation of the program through four trapezoidal volumes of pigmented concrete, in a harmonious arrangement on the 12,152 square meter plot and joined by the same linear axis.

The articulation between the different volumes sectorizes the residency program in such a way that the three frontal volumes protect the social and intimate areas, while the volume of the back portion concentrates the service spaces.

Taking advantage of the slope of the natural profile of the land in the northern portion, in the lower volume we find the TV and sauna room, which fits the program and thus disguises it without losing the perception of a single-storey house. Set back in relation to the upper floor, it receives closings in floor-to-ceiling glass panels, which, shaded, seem to disappear, creating the sensation of the main volume floating. The rest of the program is at the highest level.

Outside, grassy steps lead to access to the upper level, and at the side, the landscaping developed in partnership with Paisagismo d ’Orey Brasil receives philodendron shrubs. On the main level, the deck and infinity pool are finished in basalt. Like natural umbrellas, two trees provide shade for the sun loungers.

In this residence, the visual and physical limits between interior and exterior are diluted through design integration strategies. The same material as the deck (basalt) and lining of the balcony (modular in slatted wood) are used in the interior, and the living, dining and gourmet areas become a balcony when their frames are fully open to the pool and garden.

In the social volume, from a material point of view, the palette in natural tones brings comfort and well-being, where the reddish-colored pigmented concrete gables, wood in the ceiling and panels, and basalt on the floor and fireplace stand out.

In the furniture, the mixture of pieces (existing ones from the family, new ones from Brazilian designers, pieces from Minas Gerais, and solid wood) prevails, seeking the simplicity stripped of a country house. The fabrics of the armchairs and rugs follow a color palette in harmony with the architectural surfaces. It is worth mentioning that part of the furniture is integrated with the architecture, such as the fireplace (in basalt and soapstone) and the dining room sideboard (in marble).

The gourmet area serves as a support for the dining room and pool, and can be integrated individually into each of the spaces. The sliding wooden panels allow to be opened to the dining room or completely closed and only opening the glass frames to the outside. To ensure ventilation and natural lighting, cobogós – Brazilian hollow concrete elements – were used to close the side gable.

On the right side of the social volume, behind the living room, we have access to a small private TV room and master suite. On the opposite side, a staircase leading to the lower level is bathed in zenith lighting. In the bedroom, on the workbench, a linear tear in the concrete gable points strategically aimed at the garden.

With a special design by Bernardes Arquitetura, eight vertical wooden brises-soleil positioned transversely on the balcony of the rooms shade the interior while directing the view to the horizon. Attached to its structure, benches covered with the same wood and supported by a single pillar play the role of railing.

In the second volume, to the southwest, are the kitchen, laundry and three service suites. In the intimate portion, there are eight suites, two of which are extra suites, in addition to two intimate rooms, positioned in the two blocks of the southeastern portion.

In this residence, the linearity of the corridor is transformed into a gallery that crosses the succession of volumes, with a set of tears strategically arranged, sometimes in the vertical planes (walls), sometimes horizontal (slab), and which frame the external view. On the other hand, they allow light to fill the space, in a play of light and dark.

POWERHOUSE PARRAMATTA MUSEUM

Bernardes Arquitetura participated in the international competition for the new Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, Australia, together with Scale Architecture, Agencia TPBA, and Burle Marx offices. Our team was one of the six finalists, having competed with offices from all over the world.

The new MAAS emerges from a large urban gesture. By placing its largest presentation spaces on the ground plane in separate volumes, the museum creates an iconic public space in the heart of the block. It features a soaring 22-meter cantilever reaching towards Parramatta River and creates an urban scaled roof. Sitting 28m above the ground this creates a grand scaled covered public space, protecting from rain and sun.

This civic outdoor void is capable of hosting large scale events and will make Powerhouse Parramatta one of the most recognizable public squares in Sydney. The edges are defined by fine-grained, human-scaled building elements, and add vibrancy and life to the urban gesture. The museum’s riverside steps connect this space down to the river, marking a natural place to sit and gather.

The permeable façade comprises a system of vertical louvers, delicately patterned and variably toned, they provide an expressive skin that is legible from both the urban and architectural scales. Operating in mixed ventilation mode, the operable façade allows circulation routes to be open to the air.

URCA BUILDING

Located on a plot of irregular pentagonal design in Urca, a predominantly residential neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro and popularly known for the natural complex of the Pão de Açúcar hills and another one with the same name as the neighborhood, this building with nine apartments is proposed from ground floor, four floors and coverage distributed in 2,700 square meters.

Seeking the best use of areas, the architectural proposal took advantage of the rates – of occupancy, height and setbacks – required by the Rio de Janeiro city hall, creating an offset from the perimeter of the land to the design of the implantation. From this, the sectorization of each of the housing units by floor was defined, the first being with the living and intimate zones to the east; and the second with living spaces to the east and bedrooms to the west, prioritizing the late afternoon sun.

With the reduced size of the land and the lack of underground pavement to accommodate the parking lot, the central core of the ground floor follows the same perimeter as the implantation, but indented, and its vertices are diluted in curves. In turn, these setbacks provide structural balances and only two front pillars are visible from the sidewalk, while the others are mimicked between the interior walls. This solution, added to the free areas resulting from the building’s setbacks on the land, creates space for 17 parking spaces. The eaves also protect visitors from the direct sunlight and rain.

Lobby, vallet’s living, vertical circulation centers, storages (building’s, personal and garbage) and technical area are organized in the trapezoidal volume and the access of the last two is carried out from the outside for better use of space.

Each of the four type floors has two residential units. With the main façade facing southeast, its share it, with an L plan respectively, where the social area of both and the single suites of the first unit receive sunstroke during most of the morning, and the double suite facing west, with sun in the afternoon, as well as the other bedrooms in the second unit.

Each apartment has a ten meter long balcony. In plan, the front portion has a mirrored design, accommodating the living and dining room, kitchen, laundry and gourmet area. In the rear portion, due to the irregularity of the lot, there are three suites – master and two single –, and in each unit, one has a private balcony. Focusing on the views, one of the sides faces the Pão de Açucar hill; and the other to Botafogo Bay and Corcovado.

Crowning the building, the penthouse apartment, with the same perimeter as the other floors, has a different layout and the balcony slab is indented in the front and sides, generating solariums and a certain visual lightness when viewed from the street. Living and dining rooms are positioned in the central area and integrated with leisure and outdoor dining space arranged at the ends, through the C-shaped balcony. In the eastern area, there is the kitchen, laundry, bedroom and service bathroom. In the transversal area to the west, four suites, two of them with a double bed and the others with two single beds each. The largest bedroom is equipped with a closet and a balcony.

Bernardes adopted a silent approach to the project and as one of the strategies, on the perimeter of the entire building, flower boxes give green to the façade, which will grow over time together with vertical louvers in slatted wood that act as a veil, protecting from the sun’s rays directly, while it also contributes to the project’s identity.

PHENIX BOAT

Designed as a nomadic leisure house, with 33 meters in length (98 feet) and four levels, the Phenix boat had its interior project developed by Bernardes Arquitetura in partnership with Manoel Chaves, responsible for naval architecture.

On the lower deck with access from the stern (where the mechanical room is located) there are four suites in the central area – two of them with a double bed and the other two with three single beds each, one bunk bed -, and two sailor cabins in the front area. The single bedrooms are finished with wooden sheets on the furniture and walls, bringing more comfort to the space, as well as individual reading lamps and bed linen with blue fabric that alludes to the tone of the sea.

In the bow (main deck) are concentrated the leisure areas. At the stern is the veranda, which is transformed into a dining area with a table for up to eight seats, and a sofa covered in fabric for outdoor use, with greater durability in the maritime climate. Inside, the central area receives the same deck as the outside and wooden sheets on the walls, switches and fixed furniture. On the sides, two sofas are responsible for dividing the living and dining space. Sofas are upholstered in gray fabric and pillows in navy blue tones, like the chairs outside.

The integration of the kitchen and dining area is carried out through a side opening with direct access to the main counter, as a support area and plate tray. With an L-shaped layout following the design of the vertical circulation, the space is equipped with modern appliances especially designed for vessels. The cabinet handles have the armhole system, being hidden and saving space. In the back, a small pantry.

In the front area, there is the master suite, with a closet and interiors covered in wood with wide openings. On the side sofa, drawers expand the storage areas, and a baseboard with effect lighting, with a lighting project signed by Lightworks.

With an elevated view, the upper deck receives the TV room and a new balcony, with beanbags, a dining table that seats up to 10 people and a bench. In the bow, there is the captain’s cabin with two service stations. Meanwhile, the fly deck is responsible for concentrating a solarium.

VC OFFICE

To renovate a house of historic value from a semi-detached residential complex into an office, Bernardes Arquitetura sought solutions that maximized natural lighting and the sectorization of spaces.

In the front hall, we concentrate a simple reception composed of a small counter, and on this same space, a volume shaped from special curved glass panels that configure the main meeting room. The sheets of glass are attached directly to the metallic structure in the ceiling, free of frames and enhancing the organic design. Inside, the main wall is finished in the original stone of the house, and in the ceiling, wooden slats were installed. For convenience during meetings, a perimeter curtain allows it to be closed.

Preserving the memory of the original architecture, the stone is also present on the opposite wall and it was decided to keep it, receiving indirect lighting through the wall washing system, which simulates zenith lighting, with a lighting project developed in partnership with LD Studio.

In order to make better use of natural lighting and ventilation in the work spaces, the residence’s original central span was converted into a patio, either for meals or as an independent meeting room. At the rear, there are service spaces on the ground floor and a small room on the upper floor. These are protected by rustic wooden slatted panels as brises soleil, helping to filter light and privacy.

Creating the atmosphere of the green neighborhood to the project, in addition to the natural raw material brises, the central patio receives a vertical garden with tropical species and burnt cement on the floor.

On the first floor, the main room is equipped with a variety of workstations and a table with a sinuous design. Creating an aesthetic unity, the same wood as the ceiling of the meeting room on the ground floor is applied to this one, and the floor receives wooden rulers. In lighting, linear lamps.

CWN HOUSE

In Santana de Parnaíba, a city 40 kilometers away from São Paulo downtown, is the condominium where this residence was built. The plot with 1,850 square meters and approximately 6 meters of unevenness accommodated the house with 1,750 square meters of built area distributed over three floors. The L-shaped design and one of the diagonal wings has a steel frame and stone closures on the south face (opaque) and frames and brises on the north face (translucent).

Two axes organize the sectorization of the house from the volume in the shape of a boomerang, so that in the wing parallel to the street are the social areas and master suite, while in the second wing, in an obtuse angle, the service and intimate areas. In this first, the central area accommodates the double height living room, integrated into the garden of tropical species with landscaping designed by Isabel Duprat. Inside, from the modulation of the steel structure, the four upper faces are closed with glass and slatted wood panels, the one facing the garden with brise-soleil that follow the same alignment and dimension of the slats of the other panels. This approach allowed for strategic views from the upper floor, as well as protection against direct sunlight, in the case of brises-soleil.

It is worth mentioning that the brises-soleil detailed by the Bernardes Arquitetura team are supported by metal trays covered in metal plates with the same painting as the structure, which also plays the role of eaves.

On the lower face of the main module’s highlighted wall, the closure is made by applying stone. In the furniture, pieces by Brazilian designers make up the living room, such as the armchairs Mole by Sérgio Rodrigues and Vareta by Joaquim Tenreiro. On the left side, the space (with a simple height) is cut off perpendicularly by a wall where is the dining room, with access to the kitchen and back hallway.

At the opposite end, the veranda of the same dimension as the living room’s structural module, but with a simple height, can be integrated into the interior if the frame is open. The ceiling, volume of the barbecue grill and countertop receive wooden slats and rulers (the same as in the other spaces), and stone on the counter and sink niche. For furniture, the Box sofa by Jader Almeida in harmony with the Asturias Fixa armchairs by Carlos Motta on the garden.

The stone board flooring of the internal spaces was also used in the external area, and the absence of unevenness emphasizes the spatial continuity. The sash rail was embedded between the boards.

Bringing coziness and highlighting the natural tones of the materials, the lighting design, developed in partnership with Estúdio Carlos Fortes, uses a warm color temperature.

On the upper floor there are four suites, and due to the arrangement of the central void, the master suite is accommodated on the right side and accessed by a walkway, while the other bedrooms are distributed along the east-west axis. Wooden brises-soleil provides privacy and transparency to the garden, which contributes to the pleasant ambience of the resting spaces. In the basement, there is a garage for up to five cars and technical areas.