Casa Monóculo
Casa Monóculo was designed as a unique retreat, catering to the growing demand for remarkable and unforgettable experiences. By freezing the essence of vibrant nature within its modest 40m² interior and 38m² deck area, the project captures the essence of time, scale, and the harmonious connection between humanity and the natural world."
Casa Monóculo is located in the Eldorado neighborhood, an urban expansion area of the city of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park area. This location, despite being close to the urban core, still features preserved native Cerrado vegetation.
The idea of suspending the construction aims to preserve the existing situation of the topography and vegetation, as well as to seek an unobstructed view of the sunrise behind the mountains in the background. Black metal pillars support the construction, which is raised 5 meters above the ground.
Its shape resembles old photographic monocles, plastic objects with a trapezoidal form used for viewing a backlit chrome photograph. The smaller side of the trapezoid has a magnifying lens, while the opposite end contains the image to be viewed, with the sides closed to intensify the light that brings the frozen image to life.
The project, in turn, freezes the experience of vibrant nature in time, aided by the exaggeration of its proportions within a reduced internal area of 40m2 and a deck area of 38m2. The journey to the house is defined by a winding staircase that ascends through the forest to the access deck at an elevation of 4.5m, where the ceiling height is 3 meters.
Upon entering, one must navigate around the enclosed volume that houses all the house's infrastructure, creating a suspenseful moment that serves as preparation for the surprise that follows: a 6.5m by 4.30m opening that, instead of framing the view, allows the landscape to fill the entire space and invade our senses.
The Casa Monóculo is a house designed for Airbnb, and the client's main request was for it to provide a striking image and deliver a unique and unforgettable experience, crucial characteristics for success in a highly competitive market. This allowed us to reflect on time, approach and journey, scale and sensations, mankind and nature, ascent and dissolution.
