Designed by Valéria Gontijo + Arquitetos, Casa Taipa is a manifesto for a more sensorial, integrated, and site-rooted architecture. Located on a small estate in Lago Sul, Brasília, the single-story residence was commissioned by a couple seeking a compact, functional retreat deeply connected to the landscape. A sloped plot with privileged views of Lake Paranoá offered the starting point for a bold creation: an L-shaped house that respects the scale of its surroundings and treats materiality as experience.
The choice of construction technique — rammed earth — defines the project’s identity. An ancient and vernacular method, taipa uses raw earth compacted into wooden molds, harnessing the soil from the site itself. Beyond its sustainability, the technique offers excellent thermal and acoustic performance, creating a naturally comfortable environment. “We were drawn to taipa precisely because it escapes the usual codes of concrete and stone,” says Valéria. “We wanted something more experimental, yet still built with pure forms.”
Designed to be fully lived in, the house features a compact and integrated program: just two suites, a living room connected to a gourmet area, kitchen, laundry, covered veranda, two-car garage, and a pool. Every space was conceived to encourage togetherness, with lower ceilings and a warm atmosphere — like a shelter made of earth, wood, and natural light. The materials were selected to create a tactile palette: rustic granite flooring, reclaimed wood, biribinha latticework, and a décor that bridges rusticity and comfort through subtle gestures.
