Rouxinol House Balances Steep Slope and Forest Preservation in Brazil’s Paraíba Valley

Architecture firm Sergio Sampaio Archi + Tectônica has completed Rouxinol House, a residential project in Jacareí, São Paulo, that confronts the dual challenges of a steep 50-meter slope and a dense canopy of more than 300 surveyed trees. Located in the Paraíba Valley, the 2,000-square-meter site overlooks the Jaguari River reservoir, a water body that supplies part of the São Paulo metropolitan region. The design team states that minimizing environmental impact was the central parameter guiding every decision, from the building’s footprint to material selection.

Site constraints and design strategy

The Paraíba Valley is a region of Atlantic Forest remnants and agricultural land east of São Paulo city. Rouxinol House occupies a plot that drops sharply toward the reservoir, making conventional excavation or extensive grading impractical without destroying existing vegetation. The architects responded by lifting the main volume on slender columns, a solution that reduces ground disturbance and allows water runoff and animal movement to continue beneath the structure. The building’s orientation was calibrated to preserve the largest trees while opening framed views toward the water.

Key facts

Material palette and construction logic

The project uses a restrained set of materials: exposed concrete for the retaining elements and ground-level slabs, steel for the structural frame of the elevated pavilion, and wood for decking, brise-soleil and interior finishes. The choice of wood is partly local — the Paraíba Valley has a history of timber construction — and partly a response to the humid microclimate near the reservoir, where natural materials regulate temperature better than fully sealed systems. Steel allows long spans that avoid tree trunks, while concrete anchors the building into the hillside without deep foundations.

The architects specified a green roof on the main slab to reduce stormwater runoff and improve thermal insulation. Rainwater is collected from the roof and directed to a storage tank for garden irrigation.

Interior organization and spatial flow

Rouxinol House is arranged as a sequence of platforms that step down the slope. The upper level contains the social areas — living room, dining area and an open kitchen — connected to an outdoor deck that extends into the tree canopy. Bedrooms occupy a lower level, each with its own view of the reservoir and direct access to a garden path. Circulation is primarily external, via a wooden walkway that runs along the contour of the hill, which the architects say encourages occupants to move through the landscape rather than through a corridor.

The openness of the plan is tempered by adjustable brise-soleil panels on the north and west façades, which control solar gain during the hot summer months. Cross-ventilation is achieved through operable window walls on opposite sides of the main volume, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling.

Relevance for the architecture community

Rouxinol House is a case study in how residential design can respond to topographical and ecological constraints without resorting to costly engineering or extensive land clearing. For architects working on sloped, forested sites — common in Brazil’s coastal and valley regions — the project demonstrates a replicable approach: survey every tree before designing, elevate the building where possible, and use local materials in a structurally efficient way. The firm’s choice to prioritize preservation over maximized floor area sets a precedent that aligns with current sustainability standards in Latin American architecture.

The project also contributes to the ongoing discussion about building in peri-urban areas of the Atlantic Forest biome, where development pressure often conflicts with conservation goals.

Source limitations

The information in this article is based on the project description and images published by ArchDaily on August 31, 2026, as well as materials provided by Sergio Sampaio Archi + Tectônica. Technical details such as exact foundation depth, energy performance data and construction cost were not disclosed in the available source material. No independent site visit or verification of tree preservation claims was conducted.

Source: ArchDaily, “Rouxinol House / Sergio Sampaio Archi + Tectônica,” August 31, 2026. https://www.archdaily.com/1184262/rouxinol-house-sergio-sampaio-archi-plus-tectonica