Second Skin Created from White Bricks in this House in Brasília

Important public buildings in Brasilia have white as the predominant external color, whether in painted surfaces or coverings. It can be said that the color white is, therefore, an important architectural element in the Monumental Axis in Brasília. Therefore, the decision to paint the house white came from the idea of appropriating this characteristic of the city. The color white also functions as a common “language” that unites the different materials in the building, such as concrete, masonry, metal and solid bricks.
The White Bricks House was built in an extremely artisanal way by masons-craftsmen, in a slow and precise process. Although it is a constructive process that is not very widespread in Brasília nowadays, the use of exposed solid bricks has a constructive complexity that requires precision and constructive refinement, elements that are very present in the most representative public buildings of Brasilia.
Built on a residential complex in the Lago Sul region of Brasília, the White Bricks House´s program was distributed around the perimeter of the plot so that all the main rooms of the house could face the central area, with a large green area and a semi-Olympic lap pool. Therefore, the bedrooms, living rooms, verandas, kitchen and even the garage were directed towards the large garden environment that functions as a central patio. The facades are covered by an outer layer of solid bricks painted white. Its different degrees of openness are formed by the variable spacing between the bricks. The level of visibility through the bricks reflects the different levels of privacy that are desired for each room. The “hollow” spaces between the bricks also allow for natural cross ventilation. Therefore, the bricks form a “second facade” that has the function of controlling direct sunlight, natural ventilation, and the desired privacy. The bricks have elongated sizes that we designed specifically for the house.
The spaced bricks reinterpret one of the most relevant architectural elements in Brasilia, the “cobogó” (breezeblock), that is so important for ventilation and natural lighting in Brazilian architecture.
Project info:
Name: White Bricks House (Casa dos Tijolos Brancos)
Location: Brasília-DF, Brazil
Authors: Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, Matheus Seco
Project Coordination: Victor Machado
Project Architect: Giovanni Cristofaro
Built Surface: 600sqm
Project: 2016
Construction: 2021-2023
Structural Project: André Torres
Lighting Design: Dessine
Landscape Design: Fábio Camargo
Contractor: Memória Engenharia
Photos: Joana França
0:00 - Inspiration from Brasília's Features
0:56 - The Second Facade
1:51 - Living Room
2:55 - The Central Patio
3:19 - Choreography of Openings and Voids
3:34 - Cross-Ventilation
4:27 - Evening Light Effects on Bricks
5:15 - Drawings

[@BabaZaynDiocious]

Wow. What an amazing concept, nicely executed. Privacy and incredible openness. It's the perfect balance that'd also work well in parts of developing nations where those are concerns.

[@willemhaifetz-chen1588]

Now I see more of your work - I like it more and more

[@mirageon]

Thank you 😊

[@davidyan7354]

Excellent videos, particularly for animated drawings.

[@kensteffes6712]

Really helps with the idea of this white brick material that the structure is very large in scale.

[@jjandson1]

Linda e moderna. Parabéns ao Escritório BLOCO Arquitetura.

[@william_at]

Absolutely Brasilia's style. Gorgeous. Maybe a litle be more flamboyant's greenery could be perfect. In any case, nice house and excellent job.

[@shad_2510]

Just amazing

[@turabalikhan1341]

So beautiful

[@jamesmorrissey167]

This is so beautiful

[@cristianoluis4290]

Perfeito.;..

[@ersanbicil6578]

Perfect

[@DownwiththeTowerexJW]

beautiful job guys. Lovely spaces

[@mirageon]

Thank you so much 🙏

[@user-ji9ib3yk9k]

Фантастический белый дом спасибо

[@Dnn411]

clean

[@briancanbefound]

brilliant

[@Xiaguang_zi]

🙌🏻👍🏻👏🏻

[@ociniago2257]

Ho do you clean the dirt and dust gathered by those brickes?

[@trolley4388]

water

[@iscconstructionculture]

Nice

[@user-vd6bo2bn3o]

💓👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💓

[@jayess6318]

Dust ledges, Dust ledges everywhere!

[@md.salamali8995]

it's not an untextured SketchUp model?

[@virajkumar1995]

Beautiful project, but how exactly was such a long semi-hollow wall achieved without any additional support?

[@mirageon]

Hello! They drill holes in the bricks to create a vertical reinforcement and join them with structural mortar, ensuring that the wall becomes almost like a structural unit. It's labor-intensive, but it results in a very sturdy wall.

[@d2ez695]

How do you clean the cobwebs and mud-daubers?

[@user-yl3xc8vh3z]

Can anyone please help me find the name of that white head grass type thing @2:41?

[@lblbs]

Hi! Here in Brazil we call it "Capim do Texas". There's a green and a purple version, this is the green one.

[@user-yl3xc8vh3z]

@@lblbs Amazing! Thanks for the hint. Googled it and as per it is a Fountain grass.

[@triaamohamed6371]

Combien coûte cette maison est quel est le nom de l'architecte qui l'a bâti

[@mirageon]

Website of the architecture firm that designed this house: www.bloco.arq.br

[@oscarviniciusferreira8174]

COBOGÓ

[@scarface_x]

Jail?

[@dandan1364]

Brutalist plus homes. Ugh.

[@user-hu4nk3gq2g]

awful solution. dust, spider net, bugs, insects, mould, bird's sh...t, everything will be there

[@Hplss1404]

I'm sorry if u don't clean ur house

[@user-hu4nk3gq2g]

I'm also sorry that u write so dumb comments, likely have no idea of what I wrote@@Hplss1404

[@Sailingbill1]

Horrible narration.... pity. Perhaps have The Logan Project do this next time....