Cap. 1 Three Fig Trees: Suspended Housing Redefining Urban Living in Três Figueiras, Brazil

Cap. 1 Three Fig Trees is a contemporary residential development by OSPA Arquitetura e Urbanismo that reinterprets collective housing through the concept of suspended houses. Located in the leafy, predominantly single-family neighborhood of Três Figueiras, Porto Alegre, the project proposes a refined balance between density, landscape integration, and residential well-being, responding sensitively to both topography and urban context.

Set on a sloped site marked by one of the iconic fig trees that give the neighborhood its name, the project takes nature as a guiding principle rather than an obstacle. The preservation and visual prominence of this mature tree becomes a central architectural gesture, shaping orientation, views, and spatial organization across all residential units.

Urban Context and Site Strategy

Occupying four original plots, the development is composed of four independent blocks, each containing four staggered apartments. This volumetric strategy follows the existing geometry of the surrounding lots while softening the building’s presence within the residential fabric. Rather than imposing a single, monolithic volume, the staggered configuration gradually steps back from the public street, reducing visual impact and respecting neighborhood scale.

All apartments are oriented toward the front of the site, ensuring east–west solar exposure and uninterrupted views toward the fig tree and surrounding cityscape. This orientation reinforces both environmental comfort and a strong visual relationship with the landscape, enhancing daylight penetration and cross-ventilation throughout the units.

Volumetrics and the Concept of Suspended Houses

The idea of suspended living is materialized through the careful manipulation of mass and void. Each apartment is articulated as a concrete volume elevated above the ground, reinforced by terraces that act as transitional spaces between architecture and nature. These terraces are not merely balconies but extensions of the domestic realm, conceived as outdoor living rooms.

The staggered volumetrics also follow the site’s natural slope, allowing each residence to benefit from private terraces with linear swimming pools. Between floors, the orientation of the apartment façades alternates—sometimes parallel to the street, sometimes perpendicular to the side boundaries—introducing rhythmic variation and visual dynamism to the overall composition.

Terraces, Privacy, and Indoor–Outdoor Living

Terraces play a strategic role in both spatial and economic terms. According to local building regulations, they are not counted as built-up area, increasing the saleable private space while reinforcing the architectural concept. Each apartment features a distinctive U-shaped concrete tray, which frames the terrace and supports a private pool clad in Hijau stone, enhancing the sensory experience of water, texture, and light.

The internal layouts prioritize a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces. Living rooms, dining areas, and kitchens are oriented toward the terraces, blurring the boundary between inside and outside. This spatial continuity reflects the lifestyle aspirations of the residents, emphasizing openness, leisure, and a close relationship with nature.

All photographs are works of Gabriel Konrath