House 12.20, a modern bachelor pad in Brazil | Alex Nogueira

July 23, 2014

House 12.20 by Brazilian architect Alex Nogueira is surprisingly small given that it is built on a fairly large lot. It presents a closed-off appearance to the street, with windows hidden behind metal louvers and a privacy wall. On entering the compact house though, visitors will find that the house is in fact almost completely open on the opposite side. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors slide to one side, leaving no barrier between the house and the backyard garden.

Moving further into the living area reveals that the interior is also open from the entry through to the bedroom. The 45 m² (484 ft²) house has a studio floor plan arranged in a U-shape around the bathroom, the only enclosed room. Having the sleeping area open to the living room would work fine for a single person, but if privacy was an issue then sliding doors could be added for more separation while still having the option of opening up the rooms.

There is a floating breakfast bar around the kitchen area. To us, it appears to cut off the natural circulation path through the center of the house, as well as being redundant with the adjacent built-in dining table. We would probably get rid of both eating spots. Replacing them with a stand-alone dining table near the glass wall would free up quite a bit of space in the living room area.

Besides the difference between the closed and open façades, the architect has created other unexpected contrasts within the small house. One end of the home is cantilevered over the foundation, giving it a floating appearance, while the other end is anchored by a heavy masonry wall. The rough surface of the masonry is exposed on the interior, contrasting with the glossy white floor. The horizontal lines of the house are balanced by what appears to be the tall chimney for an outdoor fireplace.