Casa 350, designed by BLOCO Arquitetos in Brasília, explores how speed and architectural quality can coexist through a carefully coordinated modular system. Built around a 350 × 350 cm steel grid, the residence combines prefabricated structural components with locally crafted wood elements, creating a balance between industrial efficiency and material warmth. Cantilevered roof planes, flexible shading systems, and layered materials establish a contemporary home that responds to climate, construction logistics, and everyday living.
Drawings
About BLOCO Arquitetos
| Project | 350 House |
| Architecture | Bloco Arquitetos |
| Lead Architect | Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, Matheus Seco |
| Coordination | Giovanni Cristofaro |
| Team | Giovanni Cristofaro and Victor Machado |
| Structural Design | Vista Engenharia |
| Lighting | Dessine |
| Construction | Grid Engenharia |
| Joinery | Vírgula Zero |
| Furniture | Acervo Mobília |
| Artwork | Index Gallery |
| Window Frames | Raveli Esquadrias |
| Photographer | Haruo Mikami |
| Built Area | 500 sqm |
| Project Year | 2020 |
| Construction Year | 2021–2022 |
| Location | Brasília, Brazil |
Located in Brasília, Casa 350 by BLOCO Arquitetos was conceived as a residence that could be delivered in the shortest possible timeframe. From the outset, decisions regarding structural systems, modular coordination, and finishing materials were guided by the need for speed, efficiency, and rational construction. To meet these goals, the architects selected a steel structural framework complemented by timber ceilings and flooring on the upper level — elements assembled with the support of local craftsmen.
As the design team explains, the project merges predominantly prefabricated components with selected on-site, handcrafted sections. This hybrid strategy allowed for precision and rapid assembly while maintaining a degree of material warmth and human scale.
Modular Logic and Spatial Organization
The home’s layout is structured around two perpendicular volumes that intersect over a disciplined 350 x 350 centimeter steel grid — the dimensional logic that inspired the project’s name. Most structural columns are positioned along the perimeter, reinforcing the clarity of the grid while freeing interior spaces from excessive supports.
At both ends of the upper level, 7-meter cantilevered roof slabs extend outward, forming shaded zones below. These overhangs create protected outdoor spaces that function as extensions of the verandas, living areas, and carport. Retractable translucent awnings are installed within open spans, offering flexibility in light control and privacy depending on time of day and user preference.
Material Dialogue: Metal, Concrete, Wood, and Aluminum
Material contrasts play a defining role in the project’s identity. The ground floor features cast-in-place concrete slabs, grounding the house visually and structurally. Above, steel deck slabs define the upper level, introducing a lighter industrial character and establishing a dynamic material dialogue between the two floors.
Interior partitions are formed using drywall systems, allowing for efficient installation and clean finishes, while perimeter walls are constructed in conventional masonry. Blind gables without protective eaves are clad in aluminum composite panels, a material also used for the exterior ceilings. The remaining external walls are finished with plaster and paint, balancing industrial precision with a more traditional surface treatment.
Through its disciplined grid, hybrid construction approach, and deliberate material contrasts, Casa 350 demonstrates how speed, modularity, and architectural clarity can coexist within a contemporary Brazilian residence.
Drawings
About BLOCO Arquitetos
BLOCO Arquitetos is a Brasília-based architectural studio known for thoughtful, context-driven design that balances contemporary construction methods with strong cultural and environmental awareness. Founded by architects Daniel Mangabeira, Henrique Coutinho, and Matheus Seco, the practice works across a wide range of scales—from residential homes and interiors to hospitality and institutional projects—approaching each commission as a collaborative exploration rather than a fixed stylistic exercise. The studio emphasizes architecture that responds directly to program, landscape, and local conditions, seeking solutions that engage positively with the city while respecting Brazilian architectural heritage and material traditions. Their work frequently explores themes of temporality, material expression, and permanence, creating buildings that feel both modern and deeply rooted in place.
Operating as a collaborative design environment, BLOCO Arquitetos organizes project teams according to specific expertise and ideas, encouraging experimentation and interdisciplinary dialogue throughout the design process. This flexible structure allows the office to adapt to diverse contexts—from dense urban settings to sensitive natural landscapes—while maintaining a consistent focus on spatial clarity, environmental integration, and human experience. Projects by the studio often blur boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, reinforcing connections between architecture, climate, and everyday life, a quality evident in several residential works that integrate verandas, shaded transitions, and landscape-responsive planning strategies.
Since its founding, the practice has developed a reputation within contemporary Brazilian architecture for combining technical precision with understated material palettes, using concrete, timber, steel, and lightweight systems to achieve both efficiency and expressive simplicity. Based in Brasília—the modernist capital whose architectural legacy continues to influence their thinking—the firm continues to contribute to ongoing discussions about how architecture can evolve responsibly while remaining culturally grounded and environmentally aware.
Address: SCS Quadra 01 Bloco H Edifício Morro Vermelho, 13º Andar - Asa Sul, Brasília - DF, 70399-900, Brazil
Phone: +55 61 3201-6912
Email: contato@bloco.arq.br
Website: https://bloco.arq.br/