The innovatively built and relaxing Box House, created by Flavio Castro and teams, is located in the sunny hills of Sao Paulo, Brasil, where it gives guests a blended indoor-outdoor experience unparalleled by the homes around it.
This home, located in an average residential neighbourhood, was designed and brought to life by a young architect for himself and his loved ones. He opted to work with the size of the existing plot rather than applying for expansions, building upward and blending interior and exterior spaces in order to create a sense of spaciousness and airy, free movement.
The effect of having zenith openings (or sliding pocket doors in each wall of the house, no matter the floor) is one of blurring the lines between property and home, making indoor spaces feel like open patios and vice versa. This is a unique quality afforded by the stellar weather in the city, and Castro didn’t hesitate for a moment to take full advantage of that warm, sunny quality.
From the street, the house appears just like its name suggests; it’s a modern looking, cubic box made primarily of metal! This was intentional because the facade is slightly intimidating and very secure in the public side of the structure that faces the street. On the private side, however, you emerge from a hallway into an area that contrasts intensely from the opaque box you thought you were entering. Pops of colour and floating stairs amplify the playfully modern quality one can sense immediately upon entering.
On the private sides of the house, on both floors, the metal materials are replaced with pristine glass walls that slide open to create an entirely open-concept and blended area of the kitchen and living room. This structure is mimicked on the top floor as well, without opening the walls entirely and rendering the elevated space unsafe. The overall effect from the outside is that the house appears to float, particularly at night!
The way the living spaces are integrated with the outdoor area is particularly lovely thanks to lush greenery and abundant gardens at the back of the house. On days where the weather isn’t conducive to enjoying the open air, the glass walls and the metal facade can be closed, one at a time or together, making the space extremely customizable.
On the rooftop, an entire additional outdoor space provides a unique inner city haven where guests can lounge in the sun on uniquely shaped modern furniture (not unlike the pieces you’ll find inside the house as well). The garden on the rooftop completes the theme and establishes a distinct relationship with Box House’s surroundings. This idea is bolstered by the fact that the whole house is heated and powered using low-impact, energy efficient systems and solar panels.
Photographs by: Pedro Kok
