Sustainable tiny house located at 1500 m altitude in the mountainous region of SP

Located at the top of Pico dos Marins , in the Serra da Mantiqueira region, in the interior of São Paulo, this tiny house is the realization of the dream of architect Ricardo Delgallo , who wanted to have a unique and cozy place, built with his own hands . Amidst the tranquility and beauty of the Atlantic Forest, and located at an altitude of 1500 m , the house has 20 m² of internal area - in addition to another 20 m² of deck - and has a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. Large windows allow natural light to enter and offer stunning views of the mountains. Another construction highlight is the use of reclaimed wood : rustic pink peroba wood covers the interiors and, on the façade, the material was carbonized, following the Japanese shou sugi ban technique. Inside, one of the highlights is the bathroom sink carved from Indonesian stone , the selection, cutting and polishing of which was entirely handcrafted. The furniture, both indoors and outdoors, was designed by the architect himself. The floors, lighting fixtures and other items were designed to create a rustic aesthetic . The Corten steel barbecue offers greater resistance to corrosion. The tiny house was built by just four people , including the architect himself and three other workers. In total, the construction took just 45 days thanks to the woodframe construction method – a sustainable construction system made with wooden uprights and crossbars.

“Because it is a high mountain region and due to the weather and logistics variations – since the land has no electricity – everything was done with a generator and battery-powered tools in 45 working days”, says Ricardo. It is worth mentioning that the house does not use any type of fossil fuel-based energy . On the contrary: the cooktop stove, as well as the shower, the lights and other equipment use off-grid solar energy . To avoid interference with the original topography of the land, the building is supported by nine pillars and, to achieve better thermal comfort, ecological glass wool was used throughout the house. An asphalt blanket ensures waterproofing of the roof and the polyethylene paper installed on the external walls prevents water from infiltrating into the interior, but allows the house to breathe. The architect also invested in planting around 350 seedlings of native and fruit trees , forming a sort of orchard near the watercourse to protect and preserve the water that runs through the land and is used for bathing and other purposes. “Around 130 other trees were planted to further enrich the landscaping throughout the land and around the house,” concludes the architect, noting that these trees will also serve as a hedge.