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fmm21
origami house
single family house
built
LRV-mt-brazil
221m²
2018-2021
angela kurmann
frederico m. montanha
sabrina kurmann
Origami House: A Tectonic Response to Solar Movement. The primary challenge of the project lay in its unique L-shaped topography and demanding solar orientation. Faced with direct incidence on the primary facades, the design necessitated a robust system of integrated horizontal and vertical solar filters. Rather than utilizing redundant components, the project adopts a sophisticated "folded" structural language inspired by Japanese origami. This rhythmic concrete skin achieves a dual purpose: it significantly reduces raw material consumption while optimizing thermal inertia and shading. The environmental performance is further enhanced by a double-height social volume that promotes the stack effect, working in tandem with natural cross-ventilation to ensure constant, efficient passive cooling throughout the year.






The project’s centerpiece—the cast-in-place concrete origami—stands as a definitive testament to technical precision. This structural skin was specifically engineered to shade the primary glass openings; its complex geometry achieves maximum solar protection while significantly reducing overall material consumption. Executed by Pelissari Engenharia and master builder Leo, the timber formwork was assembled with artisanal rigor, treated more like a large-scale sculpture than a simple building element. This house serves as a profound tribute to the collective effort of the entire job site; a realization that high-quality architecture is inherently the result of a synchronized, multidisciplinary craft and a shared creative vision.


Zürich | ZH | Switzerland






