GAK House
Bernardes Arquitetura
Short description
From the first meeting, the clients asked for a house that would blend into the landscape and be invisible to passersby. Working with a slightly sloping terrain, it was a natural decision to take advantage of this and design a house in continuity with the topography, transforming the terrain through architecture. A living roof extends from the street widening the view of the landscape. Beneath this, the architectural program is divided into linked cores. These have been carefully positioned around the internal garden, which is the heart of the building.
GAK is a home centered around a courtyard where the main architectural program is distributed in small pavilions. Meeting and leisure areas are surrounded by movable glass panels, allowing them to fully integrate with the garden, creating a visual connection and a shared living experience. The intimate core is protected by an independent circulation created by vertical wooden elements separating it from the garden, while balconies open to the external landscape.
A mixed concrete and steel structure supports the large green roof. The presence of vegetation creates pleasant microclimate, reducing cooling costs and energy waste. It reduces the heat transfer into structures and thereby lowering energy consumption for cooling. Cross ventilation is allowed through the gaps along the pavilions, and when the sliding panels are open, the interior and exterior spaces are fully integrated. The generous presence of natural light was crucial in the implementation of the project to achieve a balance between wide views of the landscape and thermal comfort. Taking advantage of this condition, the set of solar panels supplies the electrical system.
Gently contrasting with the austerity of the exposed concrete, the presence of wood for floors, ceilings and furniture, and warm colors for fabrics and carpets brings warmth, organicity, and softness. Sofas, tables, shelves and lighting designed for the project by the team at Bernardes Architecture set the scene, along with a careful selection of pieces by esteemed designers Carlos Mota, Sérgio Rodrigues, Jean Gillon and Joaquim Tenreiro.