Landscaping of 11 thousand m² proposes immersion in the landscape of the Atlantic Forest

Inserted in an 11,000 m² area in the Vale do Barão Condominium, in Petrópolis (RJ), this landscaping project signed by Studio Julio Sousa Paisagista – from the cast of CASACOR Rio de Janeiro – translates the essence of a family country house: a refuge where nature is not just scenery, but a protagonist. The proposal arose from the residents' desire to have a garden with organic shapes, color spots, and aromatic species that would evoke sensations and affective memories.

With a contemporary style inspired by Tuscany, the project was conceived in two months and executed in just 28 days – the result of a precise reading of the place and its relations with the surroundings. Inserted in the Atlantic Forest biome, the landscaping values native and resilient species that require low maintenance and easy handling, such as lavender, rosemary, agapanthus, azalea, viburnum, and jacaranda-mimoso. "We seek to provoke stimuli and sensations, creating a harmonious coexistence between the natural and the built," explains Júlio Sousa.

Right around the house, a sensory garden with lavender, rosemary, and jasmine creates an atmosphere of freshness and lightness, just as the client wished. The strategy "less is more" guided the implementation: vegetation at the edges and punctual masses free the view to the horizon, while the new autoclavated pine wood deck forms a flat area of intense use by the family – a space for coexistence and contemplation, especially in the late afternoons, when the sunset transforms the scenery.

The integration between the different sectors of the land was conceived as a sequence of experiences: the fire pit, the deck, the olive area, and the soccer field articulate through fluid paths that follow the natural relief. The olive tree, a symbol of unity and longevity, became a central affective point, representing the family. On the way up to the house, the gaze is guided by masses of viburnum, azaleas, and hydrangeas, while on the boundary fence, the bougainvilleas add color and movement.