Many architects claim they build with light, as if they possess an alchemical ability to make the ethereal material. With his Bahia House, the S'o Paulo'based architect Marcio Kogan, of Studio MK27, does them one better: He builds with breeze. Combining the principles of contemporary design, traditional Bahian siting, and vernacular materials, Kogan produced a fantastically efficient house that seems to breathe with its environment.

Bahia, a state in the northeast part of the country, is essential Brazil ' home to many of the country's cultural icons: samba, capoeira (a martial arts'related dance), and candombl' (the Afro-Brazilian religion). It is a place where Brazil's colonial past, its history of African slavery, and its native traditions come together in a soulful, languid mix, typified by the extremely laid-back nature of the Bahians. The climate is hot and humid year-round.