Sibipirunas Concept House in Brazil by Studio Otto Felix

Brazilian architect Otto Felix’s Sibipuranas House is a conceptual structure that straddles both a rustic and ultra-contemporary aesthetic. The project was part of the São Paulo edition of CASACOR, the annual Brazilian design and décor event showcasing conceptual dwellings and new work from architects, landscapers and interior designers. This particular edition of the exhibition ran from May 28 to August 4, held at the event’s official HQ, the Jockey Club of São Paulo.

Sibipirunas House abides by this year’s ‘Planet House’ theme, focusing on the future of home design and architecture. Straight lines and breathability define the 250sqm interior, with Felix basing the structure around three key elements: glass, plaster, and Roman travertine. These materials reinvent the typical image of a country house, presenting a much more modern, bright re-interpretation.

Plaster-coated metal slats comprise the walls and ceiling, with glass enclosing the gaps in-between. The materials create an illusion that makes it difficult to tell where the outside stops and the interiors begin. When the sun shines through the ceiling, the slats create an engaging interplay of light and shadow across the white stone floor.

Inspired by the red ceramic floors that paved São Paulo building’s of the 40s and 50s, Felix recycled leftover shards of Roman Travertine, regarding them as ‘artistic ruins’. The marble rises in jagged slabs to form amenities throughout the open-plan interior, including the kitchen workbench and bathroom, in which tapware protrudes directly from the stone.

Felix styled the concept home with elegant and sophisticated furniture, incorporating his own original designs with commissioned pieces from local artists. Bespoke pieces include the dining table with brass feet and rustic imperial granite top and the bed headboard resembling a folding portable privacy screen.

A timber walkway flanked by abundant greenery leads to the house, creating a tropical reception that continues within. Two giant trees penetrate the concept house from the floor and through the ceiling. In fact, the home was built around the trees, with gaps in the roof implemented to fit perfectly around the wide tree trunks. A focus of all future-thinking design is inevitably sustainability, to which Felix’s careful integration of the existing nature was pertinent.