Por Que os Brasileiros Estão Construindo Casas Pequenas com quintal Estilo Praça em 2026

Summary

The video presents the small house with a central, plaza-style courtyard as a way to combine a compact footprint with privacy, outdoor space, passive cooling, and a clear separation between social and private areas.

Why the model is gaining attention

• According to DataZAP, the median size of rental properties sought in Brazil fell from 71 m² in 2023 to 67 m² in 2024 and 58 m² in 2025.
• A survey by Brain Inteligência Estratégica reportedly found that 74% of Brazilians prefer houses to apartments, while 64% valued private outdoor space.
• The courtyard house is presented as a response to the tension between smaller budgets and continued demand for a usable garden or patio.

How the layout works

• The suggested house is about 40–70 m², arranged in a U or L shape around a central, open-air courtyard.
• Rooms face the courtyard, making it the center of daily life rather than a leftover space at the back of the lot.
• A covered veranda or gallery links the rooms to the garden. The video describes this as a gradual threshold between indoors and outdoors, rather than a simple door or hallway.
• The front-facing area can accommodate a workspace, guest room, or other public use, while the family’s private space can sit deeper in the lot. Crossing the veranda and courtyard creates separation without adding corridors or floor area.

Benefits and practical design ideas

• Privacy without isolation: Place a perimeter wall at the property boundary to screen neighbors and the street, while leaving the courtyard open to the sky and natural surroundings.
• Thermal comfort without relying on air conditioning: Use the wall’s thermal mass, shade from the covered gallery, courtyard vegetation, and cross-ventilation. The video recommends orienting rooms toward the courtyard so air can move through the house.
• Spatial hierarchy without wasted space: Position work or guest areas near the entrance and family areas farther inside. Use the courtyard and veranda as the transition instead of building a hallway.
• More daily contact with nature: Make the courtyard part of the route between rooms so residents encounter the garden in everyday movement, not only when they choose to go outside.

The video recommends a medium-sized tree and cautions against trees with very broad canopies or aggressive roots. It also suggests an eave extending at least 1.20 m over the veranda so it remains useful during rain and strong sun. Sliding doors that open widely toward the veranda are presented as more effective than doors that leave most of the boundary closed.

2026 construction estimates

For a reference design with a 50 m² house, about 20 m² of covered veranda, a 32 m² courtyard, and a perimeter wall, the video gives these approximate ranges:

Item Approximate cost Architectural project and municipal approval R$6,000–12,000 Plastered masonry perimeter wall, about 2 m high R$32,000–58,000 Main structure, 50 m² R$75,000–110,000 Covered veranda, 20 m² R$18,000–32,000 Courtyard-facing doors and windows R$12,000–22,000 Courtyard landscaping R$4,500–9,000 Electrical and plumbing installations R$15,000–25,000 Interior finishes R$22,000–38,000 Roof with extended eaves R$14,000–26,000

Architectural fees and construction monitoring are estimated at 10–15% of construction cost, as stated in the video.

The overall estimates, excluding land, are R$195,000–280,000 for an economic standard and R$270,000–390,000 for a medium standard. Costs are said to vary by region and finish choices. The video cites a May 2026 SINAPI national average of R$953 per m².

Locations, materials, and sources

• Locations: Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, and Curitiba. The video also discusses regional differences across the Northeast, North, Midwest, Southeast, and South.
• Materials and plants mentioned: Plastered masonry, concrete or metal veranda structures, polished cement, Minas Gerais stone, reforestation wood, ceramic or metal roofing, aluminum or tempered-glass openings, pitanga, gabiroba, white ipê, guanandi, forage peanut, gravel, and pebbles.
• Sources and references: DataZAP, Brain Inteligência Estratégica, SINAPI, IBGE, and the Brazilian Council of Architecture and Urbanism (CAU). Architectural researcher Helena Zaguri Tourinho is also cited. The video is from Casa Viva.