CAFÉ HOUSE

Nestled in rural brazil, 'casa café' recalls the earthy and aromatic essence of coffee

In the tropical Cerrado region of Brazil, within Minas Gerais, a rural painting of red earth and twisted tree trunks defines the landscape, framing and inspiring the design for Tetro’s latest residential project — ‘Casa Café’. However, beyond the characteristic Brazilian nature, the South American territory is also beloved for its coffee. This symbolic drink invites long conversations and relaxation — a concept that wove into ‘Casa Café’. ‘The design for this house sought an understanding and connection between the place and the residents, their habits and interests. In this sense, understanding how much coffee is an important drink for future residents. [This] raised the following question: How to create a project that represents in its concepts, subjectively, the characteristics of coffee?

EARTH AND AIR, WEIGHT AND LIGHTNESS: THE DUALITY OF COFFEE

Answering their queries, the architects at Tetro explored two pillars when designing ‘Casa Café’: the quality of coffee informed by the land and climate in which the beans grow and the aromatic essence of this drink. In this sense, earth and air became the main drivers of the design, where weight (earth) and lightness (air) are in constant dialogue. Representing that contrast is a series of thick and pigmented concrete side walls referring to soil and land, while white and curved roof slabs seemingly float atop this solid foundation — echoing the light swaying of wind. ‘They are like two sheets of paper resting on the walls that seem to sprout from the ground,‘

A POETIC ONENESS WITH THE RURAL LANDSCAPE

Reflecting on their work, the architects conclude with a few words: ‘The project sought to understand how architecture can, through poetic language, make connections between residents and the house and create symbols that refer to the culture of the place or the people who will inhabit the space.‘

Text by designboom

Fotos: Luísa Lage