JCA House, Serra do Rio de Janeiro residence design, Brazil property, Brazilian Modern property, architecture photos
JCA House in Serra do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3 March 2026
Architect: Magarão + Lindenberg Arq
Location: Itaipava, Serra do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Photos by Anita Soares
JCA House, Serra do Rio de Janeiro – Modern Brazil Property
The arrival alone is already a statement.
Concrete slabs on grass, dense vegetation — and in the background, volumes of stone and terracotta that emerge without revealing what they hide. The house does not show itself. It allows itself to be discovered.
The starting point was the plateau.
A 2,200 sqm section within a 12,000 sqm plot, opening onto the greenery and the condominium’s lake. From there, a single-story house was developed — 950 sqm of built area extending over the ground without competing with the landscape.
The element that organizes the social program is the large MLC roof.
Structured in a diagonal grid, with a curve and counter-curve movement, it connects the balcony, kitchen, living room, and gourmet area — supported by only eight light metal pillars. Seen from below, the grid operates as a contemporary dome. Seen from the outside, it exists on its own, separate from the rest of the construction.
The adjacent modules received flat MLC roofing — a deliberate contrast to the movement of the balcony. The moledo stone walls were detailed to receive and completely hide the glass frames when open. The exterior does not end. It changes scale.
The materials were chosen with precision.
The central volume—kitchen, wine cellar, services—received a terracotta-colored cementitious texture developed exclusively for the project, in direct dialogue with the wood and stone. The same texture runs through the gourmet area and the facade of the master suite, creating continuity between distinct volumes.
The seven suites have natural Tauari flooring, floor-to-ceiling aluminum and glass frames, and direct access to the balcony and grounds. The program was resolved without excess. The master suite, set apart from the other rooms, has a private balcony and bathroom with an internal garden — privacy and the presence of greenery as design features, not as bonuses.
In the spa area, the fully glazed sauna has a black cement wall with a charred wood texture in the background — a solution that seeks volumetric lightness in contrast to the rusticity of the stone. The pool was positioned at the edge of the slope to take advantage of the view of the valley and the infinity edge. The horizon is part of the design.
At night, the roof lights up from within. The pillars disappear. What remains is the warmth of the wood reflected in the water — and the silhouette of the mountains against the blue of the Serra.
During the day, the house belongs to the landscape.
At night, the house is the landscape.
JCA House in Serra do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil property – Building Information
Architecture and Interiors: Magarão + Lindenberg Arq – https://magaraolindenberg.com.br/
Construction: Stewart Engenharia
Glulam Structure (MLC): Ita Engenharia em Madeira
Structural: GWSE Engenharia
Lightning: Chiaradia + Gayoso
Landscape: Daniela Infante
Woodwork: Studio Wood
Project size: 950 sqm
Site size: 12000 sqm
Completion date: 2025
Building levels: 1
Photography by Anita Soares
JCA House, Serra do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil property images / information received 030326 from Magarão + Lindenberg Arq
Location: Rio de Janerio, Brazil, South America.
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