13-09-2019

Casa Julieta by Steck Arquitetura

Steck Arquitetura,

Adriano Pacelli,

Piracicaba, Brazil,

Housing, Ville,

Glass, Cement,

With Casa Julieta in Piracicaba in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the Brazilian architecture studio led by Maria Jocelei Steck has completed an intervention that uses the elements of the Brazilian modernist tradition to create a contemporary, sustainable and elegant environment.



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Casa Julieta by Steck Arquitetura Piracicaba is a city located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Piracicaba is one of the state’s main sugarcane-producing areas and the birthplace of the caipirinha. With a population of more than 1.2 million in its metropolitan area, it is considered to be one of the most pleasant medium-sized cities in the state. It is also the location of the project by the Steck Arquitetura architecture studio. This family home sits on a corner plot in a residential district covered in lush greenery and it uses the material of choice of the Brazilian modernist architecture - bare concrete - to which it pays formal tribute.
Casa Julieta is a three-storey home. The ground floor is dedicated to all the socialising, the more intimate first floor is where the bedrooms are located and the garage, storage and equipment rooms are housed in the basement. The sloping, curved and slightly raised concrete roof over the social area swings out by 3 metres to protect the main entrance. In a clever interplay of openings and closures, the architects have created a volume that looks surprisingly light despite its size, helped by the gaps between the walls and the staggered roofline, with a view of the sky, the floor-to-ceiling windows that can be opened up completely, and the views of the context.
The swimming pool is the focal point of the project. In this region’s hot climate, it’s a must and the architects positioned it carefully so it would be both warmed by the sun and cooled by the shade. A wooden pergola spanning one end of the pool also helps to cool it down and provides direct protection from the sunlight during certain times and seasons. This body of water also helps to cool the air and improves the whole microclimate around Casa Julieta.
The architect Maria Jocelei Steck, owner of Steck Arquitetura, added a really wide range of sustainable solutions that passively improve the comfort of the occupants inside the house, in addition to lowering the environmental impact of this new build. A solar water heater has been installed and photovoltaic solar panels produce electricity. A rainwater catchment system is used to irrigate the garden. Large overhangs and a roof garden provide thermal comfort inside the home, together with the double glazing and sunshades with movable flaps that control both the degree of shade and privacy, and the ventilation.  An internal elevator makes every level easily accessible in this house, whose sleek concrete roofline helps make it an elegant fit in the green backdrop of Piracicaba.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Steck Arquitetura https://steckarquitetura.com/
Location: Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
Year: 2019
Images: Adriano Pacelli, www.adrianopacelli.com

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