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Architects: Porto Quadrado
- Area: 105 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Alessandro Quevedo
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Manufacturers: Bulltrade, Cobal Aços e Ferros, Speed Esquadrias
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Lead Architect: Camilla Pereria
Text description provided by the architects. Having originally intended to build a single vacation home large enough to be shared by three families on two conjoined 6mx8m lots nestled in the woods of Rio Grande do Sul, the project took a radical turn in order to take advantage of the unique landscape and the vast vegetation. Instead of a single home, the architect utilized three separate structures to create a mixed indoor/outdoor living space with all the accoutrements of a conventional house such as bedrooms, living room, bathroom, kitchen, foyer and barbecue pit (which is essential in the state of Rio Grande do Sul). By optimizing the layout via integration of the outdoor environment, whereby the deck is the extension of the living room and the barbecue serves as a focal point of the foyer, the architect was able to address all of clients’ requirements.
The houses were built using Structural Insulated Panels (SIP), a sustainable prefabrication technology which provides great strength and comfort at low cost . The three 35m ² houses were assembled in less than a day and a half, as shown in the video. The 48 prefabricated panels arrived at the site with built-in conduits for electrical and plumbing services. This allowed the two experienced carpenters, who were working as the onsite assemblers, to erect the panels without any problems even though they had never worked with prefabricated SIPs before.
The material quality of the project is directly related to the prefabricated system, for SIP panels are nothing but an insulating core of EPS coated by two OSB plates. Internally, this plate is its own finish. Externally, the system is adorned with a waterproof membrane and galvalume tile coating (55% Aluminum-Zinc alloy coated sheet steel). The finished product is a rigid metal box that provides contrast to the abundant organic forms of the natural surroundings, while the interior finishes present as a wooden box that transfers warmth and comfort.
