Ângela Roldão's Glass House integrates with nature masterfully

How about living in the middle of a forest, surrounded by greenery and native trees on all sides? With such a noble setting, architect Ângela Roldão could not help but pay homage to it. Located in a gated community in the Casa Branca district, Brumadinho, next to Inhotim (Museum of Contemporary Art and Botanical Garden near Belo Horizonte), Casa de Vidro was born in the heart of Parque do Rola Moça – a lush natural reserve area, full of rivers, waterfalls and trails . Therefore, the starting point was respect for nature, which encouraged the architect to create a succinct plan, without excesses and without wasted spaces to house a couple who wanted to live in the middle of the forest.

"We designed a small house to save as much as possible the existing trees, in accordance with the wishes of the owners who have adopted a minimalist lifestyle. She, who loves gardening, and he, who is an amateur musician, now has the lush greenery as part of their daily lives ," reveals Ângela Roldão.

Construction process

In addition to the drought, the construction was quick and carried out with a small team. The structural calculation made it possible to have a cantilevered structure, which made the construction lighter. "The house was made up of two 6x12m modules, a measurement made possible by the maximum size of the steel bar, a 3x12m module, plus the balcony, so as not to waste material ", says the architect. The Glass House is a simple construction: metal structure, aluminum frames, glass, exposed concrete enclosures, technocement flooring and porcelain tiles in the bathrooms. "When I evaluate the result, I think that, in fact, we revere the landscape and all its splendor . It's almost a tree house!" he adds.