House in Ribeirão Preto

The site for this family house originally sloped. However, it was levelled and subsequently modified to create a series of boxes dug into the ground. In these open pits are four columns supporting the almost weightless concrete shell in which the family house is placed. Horizontal concrete slabs, defining the lower and upper limits of the interior with an open courtyard, are supported by beams projecting on the roof of the house. The carefully designed structure allowed the interior spaces to remain free from additional columns while the entire structure remained sufficiently rigid. The social zone at the front of the house is surrounded by large glass panels, so the visitor's eye can follow the supporting framework from the outside to the interior and ponder the overall structure of the house. The private and public parts are separated by the U-shaped floor plan of the house, with the kitchen serving as the connector between these two sides of family life.
The house in Ribeirão Preto was designed by Ângelo Bucci when he was a member of MMBB. He currently runs his own office SPBR architects.

---

The site for this single-family house originally sloped but has since been levelled and reconfigured to form a series of open boxes cut into the ground. These regular wells accommodate four columns that carry the apparently weightless concrete container that is the house. Horizontal slabs of concrete, which define the interior upper and lower extremities of the courtyard-style house, are supported by up-stand beams located on top of the house. This carefully engineered design allows the interior spaces to remain free of columns while ensuring that the entire structure is effectively braced. Great sheets of glazing encase the living area at the front of the house, so that the eye can follow the framework from exterior to interior and puzzle over the physics of the construction. Private and public areas are distinguished by the U-shaped plan, while the kitchen connects these two aspects of family life.
The House in Ribeirão Preto was designed while Ângelo Bucci was still a MMBB partner. Today he runs his own office, SPBR Architects.