Residence in Brazil

These are the designs for a single family residence situated in the city of Santo Andre, Brazil. It was a particularly interesting project to design because Brazil, being the home to the Amazon rainforest, is subject to massive conservation efforts to protect the environment. So, local bylaws for construction in this city were fairly adamant about preserving onsite vegetation; using minimal excavation as well as relocating excavated earth on site and having no less than a set ratio of landscape versus hardscape. This is done because exposed earth, as opposed to tarmac, absorbs much less heat from the sun, cools the earth via evaporation and also provides run off water a means to seep underground, therefore reducing the need for complex drainage systems