Café House / TETRO Arquitetura

Architects: TETRO Arquitetura
Area: 2766 ft²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Luisa Lage
Manufacturers: Cristal Vidros, Directa Pedras, Laiza Decorações, MA Inoxidáveis, Nativa Paisagismo, Tuoli Móveis, iluminar
Lead Architects: Carlos Maia, Débora Mendes e Igor Macedo
Collaborators: Bianca de Castro Carvalho, Bruno Bontempo, Déborah Martins, Diana Oliveira, Giovanna De Giacomo, Gregório Fiorotti, Luisa Lage
Concrete Structural Design: MV Estruturas
Electrical and Plumbing Installations: Somar Engenharia
Construction: Somar Engenharia
Landscape Project: Nativa Paisagismo
City: Divinópolis
Country: Brazil

Café House, designed by TETRO Arquitetura, is located in Brazil’s cerrado region, a rural landscape defined by red earth and twisted trees. Inspired by the cultural significance of coffee, the design connects the house with its residents and environment. Drawing from coffee’s qualities, the heavy pigmented concrete walls represent the earth, while the light, curved white slabs above symbolize air. The house is divided into two blocks—social and private—connected by a corridor between earthen walls. Preserving the natural topography, the project integrates trees into the design, creating a stepped garden. Through symbolic and poetic elements, the house forges a deep connection with its cultural and environmental surroundings.

Café House is situated in the heart of the cerrado, in Brazil’s interior. Surrounded by a rural landscape, it features red earth and twisted tree trunks as its defining imagery. Throughout Brazil, coffee serves as an invitation to a leisurely conversation.

Considering architecture that interprets its context and sensitively reflects the place, culture, and future inhabitants is often the best source of design inspiration. The design of this house aimed to create a deep connection between the site and its residents, their habits, and interests. Recognizing the importance of coffee to the future occupants, the architects posed the question: how can a project poetically and subjectively represent the characteristics of coffee through its design?

Drawing inspiration from the drink itself, the quality of coffee is influenced significantly by the characteristics of the land and climate where it is cultivated. Moreover, coffee is closely associated with air, renowned for its aroma. In this context, earth and air were key inspirations, symbolizing weight and lightness. This concept was embodied through the creation of two contrasting elements. The thick, pigmented concrete side walls represent the earth, while the two thin, white, curved slabs that “float” above the house symbolize the air. These slabs resemble sheets of paper resting on the walls, which appear to emerge from the ground.

The house’s layout is divided into two distinct blocks beneath the curved slabs: one for social spaces and the other for private areas. A corridor, positioned between two earthen walls, connects the blocks, serving as a transitional space that prepares residents and visitors for the contrasting atmospheres of each zone.

The house, designed to connect with its residents, also responds thoughtfully to its surroundings. The earthen walls frame the views, while the natural terrain and topography remain untouched. Existing trees were preserved, creating a new relationship between the natural elements and the built structure. A stepped garden was introduced between the trees, maintaining the original layout of the land.

The project aimed to explore how architecture, through poetic expression, can create an emotional connection between residents and their home. It sought to incorporate symbolic elements that reflect the culture of the place and the identities of those who will inhabit the space.