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architecture

Tentsmuir Forest, Dundee photo © Thomas Deckker 2007
2 Beach House Projects
2020-21/

Thomas Deckker Architect: Standard House Types, Brasília
Standard House Types, Brasília
2020

Thomas Deckker Architect: 3 Tower House Projects
3 Tower House Projects
2018-20

Thomas Deckker Architect: Project for a Penthouse, London
Some Nice Ideas for a Penthouse
2015

Thomas Deckker Architect: Project for Private Houses and a Tenement, Dundee
Some Nice Ideas for Dundee
2013

Thomas Deckker Architect: Offices for a Brazilian Company, London
Offices for a Brazilian Company
London
2011-12

Thomas Deckker Architect: Duval Renovation, Brasília
Duval Apartment Renovation
Brasília, Brazil
2009-10

Thomas Deckker Architect: landscape urbanism, Abu Dhabi
Some Nice Ideas for Abu Dhabi
2010

Thomas Deckker Architect: 2 Development Studies, London
2 Development Studies
London
2004

Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Magalhães House
QL18, Brasília, Brazil
1993 - 2001
Thomas Deckker: Moore House Project
Moore House Project
Algarve, Portugal
1994-95

superquadra model
Superquadra Penthouse Project
Brasília, Brazil
1993 - 2001

Thomas Deckker: Clínica de Câncer, Brasília
Clínica de Câncer, Brasília
SHLS, Brasília, Brazil
1995

Thomas Deckker: Magalhães Project
Magalhães Project
QI26, Brasília, Brazil
1993-95

Thomas Deckker: Thompson House
Thompson House Project
Cambridge, England
1992

Thomas Deckker: Camara Municipal Competition Entry 1989
3 Competition Entries for Brazil
1989-90

Thomas Deckker Architect: 'Brasília' Table
'Brasília' Table
1990

Thomas Deckker: Soares Apartment Renovation
Soares Apartment Renovation
Brasília, Brazil
1987

Thomas Deckker: Moore House
Moore House
Gerrards Cross, England
1984-87

Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Thomas Deckker Architect: Magalhães House, Brasília
photograph © Michael Frantzis 2003

The Magalhães House, Brasília

For publications and exhibitions see:

➲ 'Revisiting Brazil' RIBAGallery 2 13-30 October 2003
➲ 'New Architecture in Brazil:Photographs by Michael Frantzis' Brazilian Embassy, London 5-6 March 2003
➲ 'Casa Nova' Perspective [Hong Kong] Oct/Nov 2002
➲ 'Architects Directory' Wallpaper* July/August 2002
➲ 'Foreign Legion' RIBA Journal March 2002
➲ 'Thomas Deckker:Two Projects in Brasília' Architectural Design Sept-Oct 2000

The Magalhães House occupies a long, narrow, very suburban, site in the lago sul [south lake] close to one of the bridges which links this district to the centre. The commission followed a study for another site, steeply sloping but with a fantastic view, which the client eventually thought too far away for commuting.

The area of the city bordering the lake - the lago sul [south lake] and lago norte [north lake] - was originally designated for the political class - ministers, diplomats and other officials - but has since expanded exponentially to include the middle class. The ubiquitous 'executive homes', euphemistically described as 'colonial', take their inspiration from the incredibly influential TV novelas [soap operas], which depict the fantastically exaggerated fictional lives of the super-rich in São Paulo. These houses, really more like sets, are without exception badly planned, dark and stuffy.

The projects for the Magalhães Houses were unusually protracted both before and during construction. First, client and architect became aware that they did not share a common language of design. The Niemeyer palaces, of course, were ceremonial buildings at a monumental scale and totally unsuitable as typological solutions. The clients made several cultural expeditions to Europe, while the architect began to explore Brazil, not only the famous beaches but also the more inaccessible treasures of the interior. It took several years before we felt ready to embark on this project together.
Photographs by Michael Frantzis
Texts by Thomas Deckker
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Street

The public garden space exploits the plan shape to create a private parking space and entrance court.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Garden

The garden was designed as an outdoor room, with the deck beyond the pool and the screen of bamboo a 'natural' metaphor for the stair landing and estante that appear in the 'Spaces' photograph below.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Spaces

The central hall, which changes from fully enclosed at the entrance to an open space at the garden end of the house, was a a wonderful opportunity to introduce a vertical space into what was necessarily, due to the size of the accommodation required, a horizontal plan. It brings light into the centre of the plan, and makes a feature of the beautiful wooden wall.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Rooms

There are 2 types of room in the Magalhães House: large open plans spaces, such as the living room on the ground floor and the master bedroom and study on the upper floor, and the smaller bedrooms which are strongly defined 'rooms'.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Estantes

The open-plan spaces were subdivided by a series of large estantes [free-standing cupboards] that provided intimate spaces.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Night and Day

Great attention was paid to match the artificial lighting to the daylighting in quality.
Thomas Deckker: Magalhães House
Windows

There are 2 types of window: large multi-paned windows, intended to lower the barrier between indoor and outdoor spaces, and smaller windows which define specific views.

Superquadra text panel
link to exhibition panel from 'Revisiting Brazil'