Family Home Emerges From The Jungles of Brazil

Nestled between the mountain and the ocean, this family home gets to experience first hand the mesmerizing beauty of the Brazilian jungle. It was called the Jungle House by Studio MK27 that completed its design and construction in 2015. The studio was founded in the early 80’s by architect Marcio Kogan and has grown to a total of 28 talented architects driven by the desire to change the world with their creations.

The Jungle House from above
The Jungle House green terrace
The Jungle House view from green terrace

All their projects are defined by formal simplicity and the Jungle House is no exception even though simple isn’t exactly the word we’d use to describe it. Located in Guaruja, Brazil, the house sits on an area of 805 square meters.

The Jungle House exterior
The Jungle House concealed by trees
The Jungle House surrounded by vegetation

It’s organized on three levels and its interior is structured in a rather unusual way, opposite to the traditional approach. More exactly, the ground floor is where a large wooden deck can be found along with the children’s playroom and the utility areas. The deck is protected by the upper levels.

The Jungle House stone walkway
The Jungle House entrance

The middle floor houses six bedrooms, five of which have their own terraces with hammocks. At the upper floor the architects positioned the social areas. On one side, a deck with a hot tub and sauna are protected by a terrace covered in grass. One the other side, a fireplace and a swimming pool are situated. In between these is the living room and kitchen.

The Jungle House ground floor pillar
The Jungle House ground floor rocks
The Jungle House ground floor rocks and stairs

This unusual organization of the internal spaces was chosen because of the location. The house is surrounded by the lush jungle so in order for the social areas to have views of the ocean and the surroundings, they needed to occupy the top floor.

The Jungle House ground floor near mountain
The Jungle House ground floor deck
The Jungle House ground floor terrace

Because the house is surrounded by tall trees and lush vegetation, the sunlight gets filtered through their leaves and illuminates the bedrooms on the middle level in a really lovely manner, offering them privacy without completely blocking their view.

The Jungle House bedroom terrace
The Jungle House bedroom hammock
The Jungle House bedroom interior

Building on this site was challenging, especially given its sloped form and the fact that one of the main goals of the project was to have the structure built with minimal impact on the land. The owners and the architects agreed that the best approach was to make the house seamlessly integrate into the surroundings so the design had to be toned down and simple, even a little bit rough around the edges.

The Jungle House staircase
The Jungle House staircase hallway

This organic interaction with the land was achieved by preserving the vegetation on the site and using simple materials such as concrete and wood. The interior spaces enjoy a direct relationship with the landscape and they also get optimal natural light on each level.

The Jungle House top floor deck tub
The Jungle House top floor deck

This is a modern family home that pays homage to the jungle and ultimately serves as a stylish refuge from where to admire nature’s mesmerizing beauty. On one side, the house almost becomes one with the mountain. it’s supported by only two pillars and the main volume is elevated, forming the covered deck we mentioned a while back.

The Jungle House top floor fireplace
The Jungle House top floor fireplace at night
The Jungle House fireplace fire

In order to respect the land on which it’s built and to ensure the type of organic interaction between nature and architecture, the house follows the topography of the site and from an angle appears to be projected out of the mountain.

The Jungle House top floor lounge
The Jungle House top floor lounge area furniture
The Jungle House top floor living area

The interior is decorated with neutral and earthy colors inspired by nature and the views. Exposed concrete and wood are the two favored materials for both the interior and the exterior. The lower terrace is a very cozy space, being exposed to the dense vegetation and the being covered by the upper volume.

The Jungle House dining table

The Jungle House top floor dining
The Jungle House top floor trees

The most spectacular however is the top floor. From up here, the views are extraordinary. The infinity pool connects to the ocean in the distance and the terrace stands between the tree canopies. The living area and kitchen placed at the center are open to both decks.

The Jungle House top floor at night
The Jungle House sunset view
The Jungle House infinity pool
The Jungle House pool
The Jungle House trees near deck