Arches House | Sao Paolo, Brazil

Preserved materiality

Near the iconic Pôr-do-Sol Square in the Alto de Pinheiros neighborhood of São Paulo, a couple with two daughters and a dog acquired a beautiful house with vaulted roofs, originally designed by modern Brazilian architect Ennes Silveira Melo and completed in the 1970s. The project adopts an approach that respects the existing geometry and materiality of the house, preserving its original character while incorporating new elements.

Renovation Strategy

Besides the geometry of the roofs, the house featured exposed concrete structural elements that needed updating to meet the new family’s needs. The residence required a redistribution of the layout, as the split-level organization limited the integration of living spaces. With this challenge in mind, the main intervention was relocating the kitchen, previously small and hidden on the intermediate floor, to the lower floor, thus integrating it with the residence’s social areas, including the TV room, barbecue area, and garden.

Functional Layout

On the intermediate floor, which serves as the entry level, there is a generous living room organized into two distinct environments. The first dedicated especially to musical practice, while the second is more intimate, featuring a fireplace and designed as a library for the residents’ literary collection.

On the upper level, the office visually protected by the canopy of native trees. A generous restored wooden sideboard runs along the entire lateral facade, adding a touch of elegance and functionality. Despite the spacious areas and different levels, the layouts designed to bring coziness and integration, providing visual permeability that allows each social environment to seen from different points in the house. Finally, a linear balcony is created to connect the bedrooms and shade the living room on the lower floor.

Materials & Lighting

Key decorative elements are the rugs along with the carefully selected furniture, combining new pieces with items from the owners’ collection. The upholstery follows the earthy palette of the furniture, including sofas and armchairs in caramel brown fabric and leather. The existing materiality marked by the wooden floor and concrete railing carefully restored as well as all the windows and doors.

The natural light that enters the space through the glass facade reflected by the vaulted roof and white walls, maximizing the interior’s brightness. On the bedroom floor, the original layout, which included one suite, two bedrooms, and one bathroom, updated to three suites. Skylights were installed in the new bathrooms, taking advantage of the original architecture’s structural modulation. In parallel, indirect lighting fixtures such as wall sconces and linear lights illuminate the curved roof.