Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2026
Casa Golf Residential House
by David Guerra
- A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 14,026
- Verification code 16A30E4A37 · Verify this award
About Casa Golf Residential House
Located on the edge of a golf course, this single story residence establishes a direct relationship between architecture and landscape. The design emphasizes horizontality, spatial continuity and visual openness, allowing living areas to expand toward gardens and distant views. Large glazed surfaces ensure natural light and ventilation, while sliding panels introduce flexibility between open and enclosed spaces. Natural materials, integrated leisure areas and a fluid L shaped layout create a balanced environment focused on comfort, functionality and everyday living.
Within the discourse of contemporary residential architecture, David Guerra's Casa Golf Residential House exemplifies a refined synthesis of modernist principles and regional material sensibilities, presenting a dwelling that appears to emerge organically from its landscape while asserting a bold architectural identity through its commanding horizontal roof plane, the work participates in a long tradition of tropical modernism where the primary architectural gesture involves the creation of shade and shelter as both functional necessity and aesthetic statement, here realized through an extended cantilevered roof that hovers above varied programmatic volumes with apparent effortlessness, the careful selection of materials demonstrates what might be termed material honesty, where each element declares its nature and purpose, the irregular stone wall celebrates geological permanence and craft tradition while the vertical timber screens reference both vernacular building practices and contemporary concerns for privacy and environmental mediation, the chromatic strategy appears deliberately restrained, employing a palette derived from earth and sky rather than applied color, allowing the warm tones of stone and wood to create a dialogue with the amber and ochre qualities of natural light at this particular hour, the compositional sophistication extends to the landscape architecture where terraced planted zones create a graduated transition between the pure horizontal of the lawn and the emphatic horizontal of the roof plane, the specimen tree positioned just off-center introduces an element of biological time and organic asymmetry that prevents the rigorous geometry from becoming austere, viewers might consider how the architecture negotiates between openness and enclosure, between geological permanence and the ephemeral qualities of filtered light, between universal modernist principles and the particular demands of climate and culture.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Located on the edge of a golf course, this residence was designed to enhance the open view and integration with the landscape. In response to the owner's desire for a single-story home, the project focuses on a light and contemporary architecture, with large, integrated spaces facing the landscape. The horizontal structure is based on a layout that emphasizes spatial fluidity and a constant dialogue between indoors and outdoors.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project is a single-story residence with a conventional reinforced concrete structure. The L-shaped plan is elevated 1.5 m above the original site level to expand views and emphasize the architectural presence. Reduced slab thickness reinforces visual lightness, while a 4.0 m veranda projection enhances this effect. Social areas were organized to host large gatherings, with a 9.0 m table reinforcing the house’s role as a space for welcoming friends and family. Natural finishes such as wood and stone add warmth, and a continuous wooden slatted ceiling reinforces unity and horizontality.
- Tags
- architecture, house, contemporary, integration, landscape, natural materials
- Production Technology
- Large glass panels ensure transparency, cross ventilation and abundant natural light, blurring interior-exterior boundaries. Perforated aluminum brise-soleils provide privacy while still allowing light and views. Natural materials like stone and wood take center stage, bringing warmth, texture and timelessness to the composition. The wooden slatted ceiling reinforces the unity and horizontality of the project, while the 4-meter cantilevered veranda enhances the lightness of the structure.
- Design Challenge
- The central challenge was adapting the construction parameters while pursuing a fluid and visually light architecture. Site levels were raised by 1.5 meters to expand views toward the golf course and a revision of structural calculations to achieve thinner slabs was required to keep the architecture light. Technical systems were carefully integrated to preserve ceiling heights and spatial continuity. Precise attention to detailing, junctions and large openings ensured consistency between architecture, structure and interior elements.
- Project Duration
- The project started in April 2022 in Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and finished in June 2025.
- Operation Flow
- The house operates through a clear and intuitive spatial organization that guides movement and use. Sliding wooden panels allow spaces to open or close as needed, transforming private areas into social ones with control over privacy and comfort. Circulation flows seamlessly between interior and exterior, enhancing usability, natural light, ventilation and interaction, resulting in a flexible and efficient living experience.
- Research
- This project is based on applied design research focused on developing a fluid and light single-story house integrated with the landscape. The objective was to balance spatial continuity, structural lightness and everyday comfort. The process involved site analysis, revised structural calculations and material studies, supported by technical drawings. Architects, engineers and consultants worked jointly throughout the process. The results guided site leveling, slab refinement and technical integration, reinforcing the importance of detail and coordination in residential architecture.
- Inspiration
- In response to the owner's desire for a single-story home, the project focuses on a light and contemporary architecture, with large, integrated spaces facing the landscape. On one side, the living areas open to the gardens; on the other, to the golf course. More than just a country house, this is a contemporary retreat where architecture, landscape and quality of life intertwine in harmony and elegance. This home was designed as a space for hosting — friends, family and meaningful moments.
- Image Credits
- Photographer Jomar Bragança
Colors of Casa Golf Residential House
Grand Interview about Casa Golf Residential House
The integration of architecture with nature is one of architecture’s greatest benefits. Nature is sovereign and, perhaps today more than ever, it is the most fundamental element in the creation of architectural space. Having access to the natural landscape and maintaining a connection with it is essential to the well-being of those who live in a place. For me, designing a house integrated with the golf course was always a fundamental premise. Once we had the opportunity to position the house along the edge of the course, it became clear that it should be fully connected and open to this setting.
In the world we live in today, where technology has made us increasingly anxious and overstimulated, nature is fundamental in bringing us back to our origins. It is a search for where we belong. For that reason, nature will become increasingly important in architecture, and in a genuine way, not only through planters or gardens that may later be changed, but through a real natural landscape. That is a great value. From the beginning of the design process, the premise was that the entire house should be connected to this natural heritage.
The brise-soleils create a balance between the moments when I want to be exposed to the landscape and the moments when I want privacy. The entire private area is connected to these screens in such a way that, from the inside, I can perceive the entire natural landscape, while from the outside nothing can be seen. At night, this condition is reversed. However, there is no one on the golf course at night, since it closes after 6:00 p.m. So even with the lights on, people do not have that connection with the house. I think it is always a balance between protecting intimacy and, at the same time, remaining connected and open to the landscape, including from the bedrooms.
Casa Golf is a house with a sophisticated, simple, and quiet architecture. It is completely connected to nature, combining natural materials with technology. It also offers great ease of use, being a single-level house on a flat site with an incredible landscape. I see this as one of the futures architecture can offer us, not through excessive invention, but through precision in aesthetics, detailing, craftsmanship, material choices, connections, and spatial perceptions. The goal is for every point in the house to become an ode to well-being, through both the landscape and the details found within it.
The decision to elevate the house, which resulted in raising it by 1.5 meters, came from the desire to provide better views of the golf course, including the lake within it. We carried out simulations to determine the ideal level that would both improve the privacy of the house in relation to the golf course and enhance the views from the living room and veranda toward the lake and the course. By raising the house 1.5 meters, the lake became visible, which greatly enriched the experience of the landscape.
The homeowner is passionate about wood, and one of the resources I often use is bringing the diversity found in nature into the house itself. Different types of wood were used in different ways, from smaller and larger brise-soleils to frames and natural veneers, creating a richness that never becomes tiring while still conveying warmth. The result is a house that is completely open to nature and, at the same time, deeply welcoming.
The homeowners are people who value relationships. They have close friends, strong family ties, and meaningful personal and professional connections. To me, the home is a place where I find inspiration, rest, relaxation, and connection. It is a place I can return to. The idea was for this house to become an environment that restores energy. In a world where people are increasingly disconnected from one another and absorbed by their phones, having a house that encourages face-to-face encounters becomes a source of well-being.
Initially, the house was designed with a steel structure, but the owner later decided to build it in concrete. The original structural calculations resulted in slab edges of approximately 38 centimeters. The client felt this was too thick and wanted to reduce it to 20 centimeters. As a result, we had to redesign the structure and introduce an inverted beam positioned about two meters from the slab edge. I believe this entire process of adjustment and refinement, aimed at meeting the client's expectations, ultimately brings great benefits to a project. The slimmer 20-centimeter slab edge contributed greatly to the visual lightness of the house and added significantly to its aesthetic quality. Like any handcrafted and sophisticated process, architecture must be developed detail by detail, always seeking the best outcome for the project.
The four-meter cantilevered veranda creates a sense of lightness, unity, and spaciousness while also providing protection from both sun and rain. It creates a connection between shelter and openness, allowing people to enjoy the space without any visual barriers or columns interrupting the view. As a result, it strengthened the relationship between the house and the surrounding landscape.
Our practice places great importance on carefully evaluating the materials used in every project and ensuring that every detail is executed with quality and a sense of timelessness. For me, natural materials represent the future of architecture. We will continue to use technology to our advantage, but remaining connected to what is natural may be one of the greatest benefits available to humanity in the future. It reconnects people with their essence and, in many ways, becomes a process of healing. Materials such as stone and wood play a fundamental role in the well-being of those who inhabit a space. I believe architecture has the responsibility to use materials in a way that makes both the environment and the lives of its occupants better. Glass, especially in a place with a remarkable landscape, creates transparency and a sense of openness. It is generous to what surrounds it, allowing people to experience the landscape through it in a fluid way. In residential architecture, large expanses of glass are one of the most powerful ways to frame and celebrate the landscape, transforming it into an integral part of everyday life.