A Beautiful Garden Pavilion Wrapped In Glass

This looks very much like a quiet little retreat surrounded by greenery and trees but looks past this little oasis and you’ll discover the busy city of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. That’s where the C.J. House is located. This is not the actual house. It’s in fact a pavilion which was construction as an extension for the main structure. This was done in 2013 by Andrade Morettin Arquitetos Associados.

C J House sofas and chairs
Conceived as an extension for the main house, this structure serves as a garden pavilion
C J House sofas and chairs
The pavilion could easily serve as a house, with room for all necessary functions
C J House sofas and chairs
The pavilion has a curved floor plan that lets the two wings be seen from the opposite side

The pavilion sits on a 527 square meter plot and its role is to serve as a gathering space for entertaining guests and friends. It’s sort of like an extended living area, on a larger and more open scale, with an obvious connection to the outdoors. The pavilion is enclosed with full-height glass windows and sliding doors on all sides so it’s pretty much an open space with a roof over its head.

C J House sofas and chairs
Together with the wooden decks, the interior spaces form L-shaped plans that frame the garden
C J House sofas and chairs
The connection between the interior spaces and the garden is a very strong one
C J House sofas and chairs
The pavilion in encased in glass, featuring full-height windows on all sides

Long curtains can be used to close off the pavilion and to gain privacy and shade whenever needed. However, the whole point of having huge windows on all sides is to let them bring the outdoors in and to blur the barrier between interior and exterior spaces. That and the lack of private spaces such as bedrooms makes it all very easy.

C J House sofas and chairs
The wooden decks are the ones that make the transition from inside into the garden smooth and seamless
C J House sofas and chairs
This particular deck is an extension of the living area floor plan, being furnished with comfortable chairs
C J House sofas and chairs
The deck, just like the pavilion itself, is raised off the ground and appears to be floating

The clients wanted to have this pavilion so they can preserve the privacy of the main house. The main volume of this new construction was treated as a new space. The pavilion has large wooden decks which help better connect it to the garden. The decks also extend the living spaces outdoors, being raised above the ground like the rest of the construction.

C J House sofas and chairs
You can see here the three main materials used in the project: wood, steel and glass
C J House sofas and chairs
The dining area also has a strong connection with the outdoors, taking in the beautiful views

The floor plan is a very fluid one, being curved and organized into two wings, each one visible from inside the other thanks to the glass walls. The interior spaces embrace the garden and emphasize lightness with their breezy and open layouts and decors. The main materials used for the project are steel, wood and glass which allowed the architects to ensure this lightness in the first place.

C J House sofas and chairs
The pavilion only holds social spaces such as the lounge area and the dining space
C J House sofas and chairs
The pavilion’s function is as an entertainment space for guests and friends
C J House sofas and chairs
The interior spaces are meant to be comfortable, welcoming and open to their surroundings