The Casa Treliça project, led by Terra Capobianco and Galeria Arquitetos, is a 464 square meter residence situated in São Paulo’s Alto de Pinheiros district. Designed with a rational building system, the home aims to create expansive spaces that fully integrate with the natural landscape on a 533.35 square meter plot.
The design focuses on maximizing land use by employing metal structures, steel plates, and steel frames to create a quickly assembled, dry structure with minimal components. Three metal trusses were engineered: two longitudinal trusses span 15 meters at the building’s ends, providing open support for the reception area. The third truss spans the width of the site horizontally, forming a suspended volume and creating a 14-meter free-span canopy.
The building’s visual impression emphasizes uninterrupted continuity. Less than one-fifth of the first floor is enclosed with opaque walls, creating a sense of openness that is further enhanced by 3-meter-high ceilings. The living and dining areas open fully through sliding glass doors, seamlessly connecting to the balcony, swimming pool, and garden. A walkway of cast-in-place concrete stepping pads leads through the garden to a leisure area featuring a sauna and barbecue under a stable shed.
On the first floor, the reception area features a metal staircase leading to the second floor, with a semi-transparent polycarbonate sheet grille illuminated from behind. The public space includes four suites, two designed with flexible layouts. Originally intended for couples, these suites contain two bathrooms, two wardrobes, a bedroom, and a private room. The second floor accommodates a gym and guest suites.
The bedrooms face east and west and feature vertical “flat noodle” shutters made from autoclaved, carbonized pine wood for enhanced durability. The north facade includes insulation for thermal resistance, and self-supporting mortise and tenon panels provide flexibility. These four panels form a detachable, efficient dual-skin rectangular volume.
This project earned the Truss House a Silver Certification from the Green Building Council Brazil, recognizing it as a nationally certified sustainable building. The residence features photovoltaic panels installed on the main block and shed, a water tank that stores recycled water for toilet use, and an automatic rainwater irrigation system for the garden.
Project Drawings
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Galeria Arquitetos, Terra Capobianco
Project Year: 2020
Photographer: Nelson Kon
Suppliers: AutoDesk, B’Block, Casa Franceza, Deca, Lesco, Lumini, Luxes, Metalart, Nani Chinellato, Neogran, Normandia Marcenaria, REKA, Reclima, Rigasist, Segmento, Solepoxy, Tecnosaunas, Trimble, Tuboar, Uniflex
Lead Architects: Ana Terra Capobianco and Fernanda Neiva
Design Team: André Braz, Liliane Nambu, Lucas Leite
Construction: Schwartz Engenharia
Steel Structure: Stec do Brasil
Landscape Design: Giardino Planejamento de Exteriores
Location: Alto de Pinheiros, Brazil
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