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Magical Site for Stone Minimalism on the Rio Coast

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It’s not often that an architect gets to choose the perfect site as part of the design process.

Given just that opportunity, the Brazilian firm Studio Arthur Casas Chose this idyllic place between the mountain and the ocean in Rio de Janeiro to site a home for an old friend.

Set in Rio’s almost fairy-tale landscape, Casa AL was clad in traditional plaster and local stone.

The architect was sure he could design to take full advantage of the views despite the very steep site.

The view is just breathtaking, so the architect aligned all the living areas to make the most of that.

So the house spans three storeys in the front to accommodate the steep site.

“We chose the land together so, for me, it was clear that in the end we would count on the scenery,” said Arthur Casas.

The stone middle storey, built out from ground level at the rear, opens out to a raised terrace with panoramic views.

At the rear of this middle floor, a peaceful secluded courtyard hosts an entrance from the hillside.

The glass panels slide open and disappear into the sidewalls to allow the living room to extend out to the terrace and swimming pool.

A stone wall hides the entrance bridge onto the middle floor and the secluded garden courtyard below.

A grassy roof topping the middle stone floor becomes a garden for the timber-clad small third storey housing just a master bedroom and home office.

This timber third storey appears as if balanced on the stone walls of the entrance courtyard.

Where stone is used, it forms both the interior and exterior wall.

Guest bedrooms on the ground floor open out onto the strip of garden landscaped to frame the stunning sea view.

Brazilian Teak, an extremely resistant timber, is chosen for use in interior furnishings and is hardy enough for outdoor use as well.

The utmost in minimalist luxury, the bathroom features a glass wall dividing wet from dry areas.

A truly unique home, that combines a magical site with a design that simply makes the most of it.