Gallery House, Vale dos Cristais home design, Brazilian property images, FGMF Project

Gallery House, Brasil : Vale dos Cristais Residence

Gallery House Vale dos Cristais design by MACh Arquitetos, Brasil

Post updated 3 June 2024

Design: MACh Arquitetos

5 Aug 2011

Gallery House

This house, which main purposes are permanent residence and place of storage and exhibition of a vast collection of artworks, presents an abstract and sculptural aspect, accordingly to the owners’ expectations.

photos : Fabio del Rey

A wide variety of ambiences, generated by spaces with different situations of openness and separation to the landscape, creates specific locations for the artworks and, at the same time, promotes different perceptions of the surrounding nature and the limits of Belo Horizonte from the house.

photos : Gabriel Castro

The architectural composition is arranged through the intersection of two basic elements: a longitudinal volume, parallel to the access road and settled along the contours of terrain, and a triangular volume elevated from the ground by a sequence of thin metallic pillars.

photos : Fabio del Rey

The first volume retains house functions related to leisure, such as gym, sauna and SPA, which receive natural lighting through open hatches on the side wall of the pool, positioned just above. As an extension of the pool area, towards the triangular volume, were placed kitchen, dining room and living room.

In the triangular block, in a third level, the bedrooms and TV room were positioned. This floor has two terraces: one near to the TV room, more open and oriented to Belo Horizonte city. The other one, near to the bedrooms, more intimist and carefully guided to the mountains landscape. In this terrace there is a circular void that allows visual connection and natural lighting intake to the lower floor.

photos : Gabriel Castro

The pedestrian access happens through a winding stone path, which guides residents and visitors to an intermediate level, where the social area and the pool are concentrated. The vehicles access ramp allows the arrival at third level, in the garage that articulates intimate and service areas.

The space division between leisure, social interaction, services and intimate areas are carefully defined according to solar orientation and settlement at different levels, providing best running of the house activities without unwanted crossings and privacy loss. The bedrooms are oriented to east and have private outdoor area, like an extension of the building. The service and employees’ bedrooms face a courtyard that ensures abundant natural light and ventilation. The interaction and leisure spaces are characterized by the transparency of its limit and expansion of spaces towards the landscape.

photos : Fabio del Rey