Architects: Fernanda Padula Arquitetura, Juliana Risso Arquitetura
Area: 640 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Carolina Mossin
Lead Architects: Fernanda Padula, Juliana Risso
Architects Team: Marcelo Panico, Emily Geisa
Civil Engineering: Lattaro Engenharia
Landscape Architecture: Alexandre Galhego
Materials: Indusparquet, Domini Móveis, Firmato, Lucenera
City/Location: Valinhos
Country: Brazil
Cedar House occupies a steep site overlooking a lake in Valinhos, where its architecture is shaped by the contours of the land. The project is organized across three levels, beginning with an upper volume that houses private spaces and the main entry sequence. Below, a cantilevered stair leads to a social floor composed of living, dining, and kitchen areas arranged to maximize contact with the surrounding landscape. Concrete elements define the structural clarity of the residence, framing expansive views while accommodating strategic openings for ventilation and daylight. The lower level extends the program with leisure areas that maintain a direct connection to the terrain. A pool set near the canopy line heightens the residence’s sense of suspension and reinforces its immersive relationship with the site.
Rather than imposing itself on the terrain, Cedar House uses the steep topography as its primary architectural guide, allowing the slope to dictate both spatial arrangement and experiential character. The entry at the uppermost level introduces a quiet vantage point from which the lake and valley unfold, setting a contemplative tone that continues throughout the project. This elevation organizes the bedrooms and office as a compact volume that meets the ground lightly, establishing an understated threshold between the domestic realm and the landscape.
A sculptural stair descends to the social level, where the architecture opens outward in a series of interconnected spaces. Here, the residence shifts from introspection to breadth, framing the horizon through large apertures shaped by a robust concrete enclosure. The weight and scale of this structure provide stability while allowing the interior atmosphere to remain fluid. Daylight and ventilation are drawn through carefully placed voids, ensuring comfort without compromising the precision of the architectural form.
Toward the edge of the slope, the pool hovers above the valley, giving the impression of detachment from the ground. Its proximity to the treetops amplifies the project’s recurring theme of suspension, transforming a functional element into a moment of heightened spatial awareness. Below, the basement level extends the program with a sauna, changing room, and gym that open to a lawn facing the landscape. These spaces maintain the project’s commitment to continuity with the outdoors, reinforcing the idea that the house is not a retreat from the environment but an extension of it.
Through this layered organization, the project constructs a sustained dialogue between structure and terrain. Cedar House positions architecture as a means of inhabiting the landscape with clarity and restraint, creating a dwelling that is both rooted in place and elevated in experience.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Valinhos, Brazil
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
