Wild landscape provides the perfect setting for off road mountain bike adventures, a key reason behind breaking ground in this lush location in Brazil. Set within the country’s mountainous Atlantic forest, Refúgio Mirzé was conceived as a secluded retreat for a couple entering a new phase of life. With their children grown up and moving out from the family home, the clients desired a countryside escape that enabled them to embrace their passions alongside a slower pace of life. Engaging architects Estudio HAA! the clients laid out a brief detailing a refuge tailored to their daily rituals: a home scaled precisely for two people and built to prioritize their routines. 

Mountain biking was one of the main reasons the plot was chosen, and it shapes the architecture from the outset. Rather than a formal living room, visitors are greeted by a fully equipped bike workshop, placing the couple’s passion front and center. Throughout the house, spaces are carefully considered to avoid excess, with interiors that feel intimate without ever seeming overly compact. While the stained timber and pops of color throughout the home contribute to a warm, contemporary design, the visual impact of the surrounding landscape steals the show. On one side of the house, tall trees filter shifting daylight into the rooms and on the other, dense forest wraps the house and offers a soundtrack of birdsong. Large openings frame the lush greenery, making it a constant backdrop to daily life.

Externally, a dark ventilated façade of black slate and charred timber helps the building blend into its wooded setting while providing thermal stability. Generous glazing and layered insulation ensure comfort year-round. Rather than a showpiece getaway, Refúgio Mirzé is a compact, purposeful home designed to promote the quiet pleasure of everyday living in close contact with nature.

Photography © Pedro Kok