In the voids between existing trees in the mountainous region of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, emerges a modern structure adopting an approach of careful insertion and preservation. Designed by Tetro Architecture, Ascendente House is organized in levels that follow the site, establishing a clear hierarchy between social, private, and service areas, while keeping the house continuously connected to the garden and vegetation.
The main entry occurs at ground level, where the living room and kitchen form a single integrated space. This area works as the core of circulation and daily life, with openings oriented toward the interior of the lot, encouraging filtered views, cross-ventilation, and a direct relationship with the landscape design. Also on this level, two guest suites are accessed from a covered outdoor veranda, creating a semi-open route that reinforces a gradual transition between exterior and interior and grants independence to the rooms.
Vertical circulation is resolved through a stair-ramp, conceived as an architectural element that links the levels and gives form to the program’s “ascent.” Along this path, the main suite is reached, set on an upper elevation and oriented toward the rear of the site, where the view becomes broader and less obstructed. Bedroom, terrace, and bathroom form a single composition facing the landscape, with openings sized to favor natural light and framed vistas.
On the front façade, a mashrabiya acts as a second skin: it controls sunlight, ensures privacy, and unifies the reading of the volume, while still allowing ventilation and diffuse light. On the lower level, beneath the guest suites, the garage and service areas are concentrated, freeing the main spaces for contact with the garden. The pool is set within a clearing on the site, connected by a deck slightly lower than the ground floor, shaping an outdoor living area sheltered by the tree canopy.
The project achieves a balance between environmental performance, privacy, and spatial continuity, making nature not a backdrop but part of the architecture itself.
Photography by Luisa Lage.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.