A striking new residential project in Cotia, Brazil, demonstrates how contemporary architecture can seamlessly blend with natural environments while honoring both family bonds and environmental preservation. The Forest House, designed by RAWI Arquitetura + Design and completed in 2025, represents a compelling dialogue between modern brutalist-inspired design and the Brazilian landscape.
Spanning 350 square meters, this remarkable residence was specifically created to accommodate a family of three siblings and their father. The architectural concept centers on uniting affection, comfort, and deep respect for the original land, particularly emphasizing the preservation of native trees that reinforce the project's environmental character. Lead architect Raphael Wittmann crafted a design that allows the natural forest setting to become an integral part of the living experience.
The residence features a distinctive 'C'-shaped configuration that creates a minimalist yet sculptural composition. Three key architectural elements define the structure: a suspended volume positioned at the rear of the property, a central courtyard featuring a concrete beam and bench that carefully frames a preserved Jacaranda tree, and a prominent concrete box that dominates the facade. This thoughtful arrangement ensures that the architecture and surrounding environment merge into what the designers describe as truly emblematic architecture.
The entire layout revolves around the preserved Jacaranda tree, which serves as the focal point for a central courtyard that connects all major areas of the home. This void space seamlessly links the social areas, intimate spaces, and service zones, including the living room, bedrooms, entrance hall, and kitchen. A custom bench and beam, both molded on-site, were specifically designed to delineate and honor the outline of the cherished tree, making it a living centerpiece of the home.
Architectural features throughout the house emphasize the connection between interior and exterior spaces, a hallmark characteristic of São Paulo's architectural tradition. Large openings and double-height spaces allow natural light to flood the interior while enabling the exterior landscape to visually invade the indoor living areas. This design philosophy creates a seamless transition between the built environment and the natural forest setting.
The facade reflects a sophisticated combination of São Paulo brutalism influences merged with contemporary architectural approaches. The exterior showcases an innovative play of volumes and cutting-edge solutions, characterized by straight lines and pure geometric forms. The composition prominently features minimalist white blocks contrasted against a pigmented concrete box rendered in a distinctive reddish tone, which houses the garage while directing visual attention toward the street frontage.
Particularly notable is the south-facing elevation that looks out toward the forest, which perfectly synthesizes the project's core concept of lightweight architecture that appears to float above the land. This elevation creates an ongoing dialogue with the forest through carefully framed views that bring the natural environment into daily life. Upon entering through the main door, visitors immediately encounter the project's essence: natural materials, honest textures, and exposed construction details that celebrate architectural authenticity.
The interior design emphasizes raw materials and honest construction techniques throughout. Wide joint ceramic tile flooring creates a visual carpet that guides movement toward the interior spaces, while the raw concrete slab deliberately retains its formwork marks, serving as a powerful symbol of architectural authenticity and craftsmanship. A generous corridor connecting the entrance hall to the rest of the house functions as an axis of natural light and cross ventilation, marked by an impressive ceiling height of nearly six meters and wide side openings.
The sculptural staircase represents a masterpiece of design and engineering, constructed from burnt cement and featuring a terracotta-colored steel railing. This elegant element rises delicately through the space, connecting the two floors with remarkable lightness that seems to defy gravity. The staircase serves not only as a functional element but also as a significant architectural statement piece.
Designed to be vibrant and functional, the kitchen showcases a robust concrete island accompanied by Girafa stools designed by renowned Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi. These stools, crafted from solid tauari wood, were specifically chosen as symbols of modernist philosophy and Brazilian design heritage. The breakfast room, situated on the porch, features a distinctive wood-burning stove that serves as a standout architectural and functional element.
The living room curation features furniture and design elements by celebrated names including Sérgio Rodrigues and Lina Bo Bardi, creating a perfect balance between the vigor of burnt cement surfaces and the natural warmth of wood materials. On the ground floor, the father's suite provides both accessibility features and seamless integration with the central courtyard, ensuring connection to the home's natural heart. An additional suite features walls with rustic plaster finishes that reveal purposeful texturing and includes a carefully planned wardrobe with vertical niches for optimal storage and visual appeal.
This Forest House project exemplifies how contemporary Brazilian architecture can successfully honor both modernist traditions and environmental consciousness, creating a living space that celebrates family connections while maintaining deep respect for the natural landscape that surrounds and defines it.
