Casa 258, a project by Brazilian architect Pedro Cornetta, stands on a steep plot within a condominium with environmental protection status, requiring a rigorous approach to both existing vegetation and natural topography. The project responds to the challenge of building without invading: it preserves the native forest at the upper end of the plot, while positioning the house in the middle, where the trees do not interfere, balancing openness to the landscape with respect for the natural environment. The result is an architecture that, on one side, opens to the sunset and the valley, its façade glowing with golden hues of concrete under the sun, and, on the other, merges into the quiet darkness of the forest, bathed in dappled light filtered through the leaves.
Spatial organization and materiality
The house is structured on two levels, perceived differently depending on the vantage point. The lower floor, visible only from the front façade —built entirely in exposed concrete and stone— accommodates the garage, technical areas, and retaining walls. From the forest side, it appears as a single-storey dwelling.
Above this solid base rises a lighter pavilion, built with a steel structure and clad in charred wood (shou sugi ban), a technique that resonates with the natural materials of the surroundings and contrasts with the weight of the foundation. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows unify the social spaces (living room, dining room, kitchen), inviting abundant natural light and offering sweeping views of the valley, while maintaining an uninterrupted visual connection with the forest.
Architectural narrative: contrasts and nuances
Casa 258 embraces the shifting conditions of light and shadow that its site provides. At times, sunlight bathes the concrete in golden tones; at others, the forest’s penumbra filters through the foliage, enveloping the social spaces in a sense of calm and freshness.
The main entrance is defined by a staircase connecting the two levels, guiding the visitor through a transition between solid and light, built and natural. The upper floor hosts the private areas (three en-suite bedrooms), shielded by panels of charred wood for greater intimacy, while the common areas are framed by large glass doors that invite more light and open the home to its dual surroundings: the preserved forest on one side, and the expansive valley on the other.
Beyond its aesthetic reflection and narrative of contrasts —shadow and light, forest and valley, weight and lightness— Casa 258 brings together technical rigor, plastic sensitivity, and a commitment to responsible land use.
Project: Casa 258.
Location: São Roque, São Paulo (Brazil).
Built area: 485 m².
Plot: 1.835 m².
Architecture: Cornetta Arquitetura.
Lead architect: Pedro Cornetta.
Design team: Pedro Cornetta, Renan Antiqueira, Luigi Borges.
Interior design: Cornetta Arquitetura.
Photography: João Paulos Soares.
Visualization: Cornetta Arquitetura.
Civil engineering: Salo Cazes.
Structural engineering: DRC Engenharia, Grupo RP Estrutura Metálica.
Environmental and MEP engineering: Latar Engenharia.
Lighting: Cornetta Arquitetura.
Construction: Cazes Construtora.
Supervision: Salo Cazes.
Completion: 2024.
Materials: Exposed concrete, local stone, steel structure, wood, charred wood (shou sugi ban).
Pedro Cornetta
PPedro Cornetta is a brazilian architect and founder of Cornetta Arquitetura, a practice based in Sertãozinho, in the state of São Paulo. His work focuses on high-quality residential housing, with particular attention to industrialized construction and sustainability applied to architectural practice.
Educated at the Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (USP), Cornetta began his professional career in the early 2000s and has led his own studio since 2009. His approach is defined by the integration of architecture, engineering, and design, aiming to optimize processes and reduce the environmental impact of construction.
The philosophy of his studio rests on three fundamental pillars:
• Industrialization and construction efficiency: adopting systems that streamline execution, reduce costs, and minimize waste.
• Sustainable commitment: prioritizing renewable materials such as laminated timber, lightweight metal structures, and prefabricated components, always with energy efficiency and environmental comfort in mind.
• Contemporary and personalized design: each project responds to the uniqueness of the client, the site, and its natural context, resulting in modern, functional homes that respect their surroundings.
Among his most recent works is Casa Guapuruvus (São Roque, 2023), a residence conceived as a laboratory of ecological practices. Here, laminated wood, metal structure, and lightweight building systems coexist while preserving the native forest and adapting architecture to the natural topography.
Pedro Cornetta’s work embodies a new generation of Brazilian architects who understand sustainability as a guiding principle. His studio demonstrates that technology, design, and environmental respect can come together in contemporary residential projects that aspire to be efficient, durable, and profoundly habitable.
Pedro Cornetta also cultivates his artistic side as a musician and composer. He leads the project Pedro Cornetta & The Imaginary Quartet, where he explores a contemporary jazz infused with electronic foundations and experimental atmospheres. His music reflects the same sensitivity that guides his architecture: a balance between structure and freedom, between technique and emotion.
Fuente: Cornetta Arquitetura.
Cornetta Arquitetura
R. Coronel Francisco Schimidt, 1400
Sertãozinho / SP – CEP 14160-710
+55 13 99624 3291
cornettaarquitetura.com.br
Project by Pedro Cornetta
