Koba House
Architect: Estúdio HAA!
Location: Gonçalves, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Type: House
Year: 2025
Photographs: Pedro Kok
The following description is courtesy of the designers. Koba House is located in Gonçalves, in the southern region of Minas Gerais, within the Serra da Mantiqueira, known for its high-altitude cold climate. The site, situated 1,450 meters above sea level, has a steep slope and covers an area of 3.7 hectares. Having previously developed a project on the neighboring plot, we were well acquainted with the local conditions, including logistical constraints, labor availability, and climatic particularities.
From the outset, we decided, together with the clients, to employ local labor. The contractor, for instance, lived in the same neighborhood as the construction site. Before starting the project, we analyzed which construction techniques were most familiar to the team, aiming to create something that respected the local technical vocabulary without simply replicating a known design.
Initially, there was a suggestion to build on a small natural plateau near the access road. However, after conducting sunlight studies, we found that this area would be shaded throughout the afternoon in winter due to a nearby mountain. We then chose another location on the site, further from the mountain’s influence and with a less pronounced slope. We considered the absence of trees in the area and the visual
framing of the mountains on the horizon, particularly Pedra do Baú, located in São Bento do Sapucaí.
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The house was organized into four functional blocks. The first block houses the family’s private spaces: the master suite, the TV room—which also serves as a secondary entrance from the garage—and the children’s suite. The second block is designated for guest suites. The third block, lighter and more integrated, connects the previous two and contains the social areas: the living room, indoor and outdoor kitchens, and a spacious front veranda. The fourth block, on the lower level, includes the garage, storage room, bathroom, wine cellar, and gym.
As a conceptual synthesis, a wooden plane gently rests on two separate clay blocks. It is as if the space between the private blocks itself creates the social area, which, beyond programmatic definitions, geometrically results in an intersection—that is, a meeting point.
A highlight of the house is the large curved wooden ceiling in the social block, which creates the sensation of being inside a shipyard, as if observing the hull of a suspended boat. We designed the steel trusses individually to achieve this effect while also fulfilling the structural function of an economical portal frame between the wooden pillars. The construction system is mixed, comprising a wooden structure, steel trusses, structural ceramic masonry, and reinforced concrete. The materiality of the house emphasizes the use of wood and ceramics, reflecting biophilic principles in the selection of natural materials that connect us with time and life.
Project Details
- Year: 2023
- Author: Homã Alvico | Estúdio HAA! (@estudiohaarquitetura)
- Team: Gabriela Batistela, Sérgio Terra, Michele Guillen
- Location: Gonçalves – Minas Gerais, Serra da Mantiqueira
- Area: 320 m2
- Construction System: Sawn Wood, Structural Ceramic Block, Metal Structure, and Concrete Structure.
- Materials: Wood, Ceramic, and Concrete.
- Photography: Pedro Kok
- Concrete Structural Design: G Fortes Engenharia
- Wood Structural Design: Raissa Pivetta Engenharia
- Electrical and Plumbing Design: Wolf Engenharia
- Lighting Design: Lichia Lighting
- Construction: Neil Mota
