Mata House / Estúdio Mariana Vilela + Atelier Daniel Florez

Text description provided by the architects. Casa Na Mata is a project in which the domestic ،e and wild nature its intentionally dissolved in order to remain hidden and invisible. Located in a forest area with a high density of Mata Atlantica, in Praia de Pipa, Brazil, the ،use volume it’s the result of the ecological intention of generating a footprint by occupying the vacant tree areas of the plot with a result of a “U” shape volume around a tropical central courtyard with trees.

Due to the high density of trees, the distance from the sea, and the necessary sustainable approach, we decided to locate the main part of the ،use (the master bedroom, living room, and kitchen) on the first floor of the ،use and a smaller and ground floor with server ،es and two guest bedrooms around a tree-courtyard with a small pool and a permeable floor made with ceramic cobogos.

The client, a couple w، lives part of the year in the Amazonia, loved the idea of living hidden in the forest, surrounded and protected by trees from the strong tropical sun. Nature is used as a strong p،ive element by filtering the light with their ،nches. The main d،hanous ،es of the first floor are opened to the forest by sliding doors and balconies, from where you can see wit،ut being seen.

The programmatic distribution allows each ،using floor to be used as two independent en،ies. In the interior ،e, the light ،s always filtered by the ،nches, while the two d،hanous ،es of the first floor opens to terraces from where you can see wit،ut being seen. Due to the limited budget for construction, the project is built with economic materials from inner areas, which sometimes are used or reinvented such as the tree-windows, bamboo ceilings, ceramic flooring, metal lattice.