Nilma Ribeiro and her husband, Luiz Butti, are happy to live on a mountain known for its sorrows.

“When translated from the language of the native peoples, ‘Serra da Mantiqueira’ is ‘the mountain that cries,’ due to the many springs of pure water that emerge from the slopes,” says Nilma.

Back in 2013, the couple bought about 120 acres of land in southeast Brazil, far from coastal cities. “It’s in the middle of this high-altitude forest, in a mountainous region in the south of the state of Minas Gerais,” Nilma says.

At the time, their land was predominantly made up of precarious slopes of araucaria trees, but the couple envisioned a retreat where they could trade in their São Paulo commitments for uninterrupted peace with their two children. “We built the first house between 2014 and 2015 with AMFB, facing all the challenges that a construction project in this location presents: logistics for the materials, heavy summer rain, and rugged terrain,” she explains.

They used this hideaway primarily on the weekends, driving 120 miles each way, until the pandemic hit and they decided to hunker down here full-time. “Once we moved here in 2020, we saw that staying was possible,” Nilma recalls. “It was a dream to live in this forest, where all we could hear were the birds and water running through the streams and falls.”

But the vacation home, as it stood, wasn’t quite up to the task. The couple needed more space to host their now-adult kids and their partners, as well as drop-ins from Nilma’s five siblings and their families. They wanted a flexible office with a clear connection to the outdoors, and their beloved golden retriever, Alegria, had to feel welcome too. With all of these must-haves in mind, Nilma and Luiz decided that the best path forward would be to develop a secondary site.

“Unlike the first house, which is deep in the woods, the new house would be in front of the valley with a wonderful view of the small town of Luminosa and the largest astronomical observatory in Brazil,” Nilma says. They hired architects Flavio Butti (Luiz’s brother) and Alice Martins of AMFB, the firm that oversaw the construction of their forest home, to follow through on this fresh idea. “We turned to those who understood our dreams eleven years before, and who also knew the challenges,” Nilma says.

AMFB designed a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home, noting that its roughly 1,000-square-foot footprint had to satisfy everyday needs while celebrating its extraordinary location. “Versatility was the key word,” Flavio says. “The idea was to execute a project with its own identity, fully inserted and in harmony with its place, while bringing in a sense of Brazil with design and art.”

A large deck wraps around the lower level, which has a breezy living room with wide sliding doors, cedrinho rosa wood on the ceiling, and a small dining area that supports a more generous setting outside.

The kitchen is tucked behind this common space, just off the deck, while the primary bedroom and office are right around the corner. The work area can convert into a second bedroom, and both spaces have the comfort of heated floors.

But perhaps the most striking aspect of the home can be found on the second level, where a rooftop deck and garden offer uninterrupted views of the forest.

“The upper level maximizes the view and drainage area while having the most minimal disturbance of the land,” Flavio says. “They access it from a metal walkway, which is reached via a natural slope.”

The two-year endeavor wrapped up earlier this year, and the couple have already hosted large family gatherings there. Nilma called their first forest home a paradise in the beginning—and now it feels complete. “This project understands its role in the landscape, and mimics its environment in form and color,” she says.

Related Reading:

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In São Paulo, an Architect’s Geometric Family Home Fits Together Like a Puzzle

A Prefab Tiny Home Is Pieced Together in a Brazilian Forest

Project Details:

Architects of Record: Flavio Butti and Alice Martins, AMFB / @amfbarquitetura

Lighting Design: AMFB

Interior Design: AMFB

Cabinetry Design/Installation: AMFB