Affonso Eduardo Reidy – Modernist Domestic Architecture (1)

As promised a few weeks ago…… Affonso Reidy is so well known for his impressive and at times monolithic public architecture, but in the book “The Works of Affonso Reidy” by Franck Klaus, 1960 – there are some gems of domestic architecture as well. I havent found any other references to domestic architecture by Reidy – but the design of this house especially reminds me of the type of house built in the foothills here in Adelaide near me, from around the same period.

So Modernist, so elegant and such a pleasure to live in.

This house is the Portinho house in the hills above Rio de Janeiro, designed and built 1950-52. I will do another post on another of the stand-out domestic dwelling from this superb publication in a few weeks time.

Meantime a description of this particular house from the publication:

The garage and maid’s room are arranged flush with the ground on the mountainside. Following the slope of the terrain, the open patio looks over the valley. Sloping ramps on either side lead to the main section, which stands on pillars at an angle to the slope. the actual living quarters therefor project a good distance over the slop, thus obviating unnecessary site levelling. Pleasant cross ventilation is provided by the upper part of a living room and bedroom wall which permits the passage of air. The large fully glazed wall of the living room affords a splendid view of the luxuriant vegetation near the house and of the landscape stretching away into the distance.