AO: Winner of World Design Awards 2023. ARCHITECTS OFFICE presents MONOLYT, a meticulously crafted residential building designed to seamlessly integrate and establish a positive legacy in the natural landscape of Estaleiro Beach, on the coast of Santa Catarina state, in Brazil.

The delicacy of the coastal landscape contrasts with the robustness of the old shipyard that gives its name to the beach in Santa Catarina. Located between Balneário do Camboriú and Itapema, Estaleiro Beach boasts a wide horizon, free from buildings that characterize the neighboring beaches. In order to promote an architectural proposal that respects scales, experiences, and existing contexts, while establishing a positive legacy in the region, MONOLYT is created with a language finely crafted to its surroundings, exploring horizontality just a few meters from the shoreline.

The slender plot, measuring 40 meters wide by 180 meters deep, is situated between the river and the sea on an almost flat topography. The concept aims to achieve a transitional architecture, mimicking the local signs and establishing itself with an organic layout that simulates the path of the river and the sea, with the common areas enhancing this design and connection.

With two distinct volumes, the design incorporates the stone element into the first building, reminiscent of the primal home of early humans. The entrance of this block simulates the sensation of entering a cave, leading to a courtyard where the gym, coworking space, and playground are located, in close proximity to the natural pools on the site. The second volume pays homage to fire, incorporating the intimacy of this element into the architecture, featuring environments with fireplaces, a spa, spaces for yoga practice, and a gourmet area.

The volumetrics stem from a logic of staggered stratification, defying the conventional arrangement of common areas by integrating them within the core of the building. This optimization enables the inclusion of apartments starting from the ground floor. This configuration also allows for the creation of terraces with private pools that reach a depth of 1.20 meters, while maximizing the use of ground level for housing units.

250 sqm apartments have been created, consisting of four suites, in a configuration that caters to those seeking a second or third home within a context of well-being integrated with nature. There are four residences per floor, grouped in two buildings connected by a central courtyard, where the path is enriched with leisure options, marked by experiences and encounters with local natural landmarks.

In the curation of materials, the contrast between solid stones and the transparency of the glass that envelops the balconied facades stands out. Wood is present, humanizing the experience and adding a contemporary touch through the use of brushed steel finishes.

The Monolyt offers a scenic, cinematic, and atmospheric residential space where architecture complements the natural surroundings and integrates harmoniously in form, materiality, and experiences.

Project Details
Firm
AO

Architect
Greg Bousquet

Project Name
MONOLYT

World Design Awards Category
Housing Concept

Project Location
Santa Catarina

Team
Greg Bousquet; Sávio Jobim; Larissa Oliveira; Maria Gabriella Stabile; Filipe Meltzer; Felipe Barradas; Regiane Fernandes; Thiago Buccieri; Marcelo Checchia

Country
Brazil

Photography ©Credit
©AO

ARCHITECTS OFFICE is the architecture, urbanism and interior design agency led by Greg Bousquet, one of the founders of Triptyque Architecture, which over 21 years, has consolidated a trajectory marked by projects and awards across the globe.

The agency based in Brazil (AO-SP) and Portugal, with João Vieira (AO-LX), presents a balance between global and local, city and nature, art and technique into the projects to promote spaces that exalt well-being, resilient buildings, and more democratic cities.

The combination of these different definitions reveals the sum of visions, stories, and skills of a multicultural team,  consolidating an authentic approach by decoupling the universe of each project for a complete solution from macro to micro scale.

Together they solidify a unique culture, evoking timeless creations that convey the truth of architecture through the ages by comprising life in its most diverse forms anywhere in the world.