Villa das Pedras
Luxury residence with natural stone, solid wood and full integration with the Cerrado biome
Villa das Pedras represents our most mature interpretation of high-end architecture in a rural setting. The 8,000m² plot in Itu, on the banks of a private reservoir, posed a unique challenge: to build with magnificence without harming the native riparian forest and the irregular topography of the São Paulo Cerrado savanna.
Siting and Respect for the Land
The residence floor plan was outlined after three technical site visits at different times of day and in different seasons. We mapped the dominant shadows, the prevailing southwest winds and the viewing axes toward the reservoir. The result was an open “L”-shaped plan oriented to the northeast, which maximizes natural light in the morning — the period most used by the owners — and protects the social areas from afternoon heat.
Stone as Protagonist
The exterior facades were clad with quartzite stone from Serra da Canastra in irregular slabs set in special mortar with plumb joints. The choice of this stone was not aesthetic but geological: its rust and ochre tones dialogue directly with the Cerrado soil and the native low vegetation we kept intact around the building.
The stone also appears in the interiors — on the feature wall of the living room with its 6-meter double-height ceiling and on the edge of the pool with its reflecting water feature.
Wood and Steel in Balance
All millwork was executed in FSC-certified reforestation solid wood — freijó and ipê. The exposed glued laminated timber (glulam) beams are the most striking element of the interiors, creating a ceiling that appears suspended above the large glass panels of the south facade.
Steel appears only where it is honest: in the slender columns of the covered veranda, in the L-staircase balustrades and in the truss that supports the green roof over the master suite.
Integrated Landscaping
The landscape project, developed by the 8HAUS team in partnership with a botanist specializing in native flora, used exclusively Cerrado species. Pequi tree, yellow ipê, aroeira, murici and carona grass created a garden that requires no artificial irrigation after the establishment period — a genuine commitment to the environmental sustainability of the project.
