Exposed concrete, natural textures and Brazilian furniture define the renovation of a 130m² apartment in São Paulo, where a reconfigured plan opens the social areas while retaining visible traces of the building’s 1970s structure.

The Jardins Apartment in São Paulo by AVAA Arquitetura is a 130m² residence within a building dating from the late 1970s. Designed for a couple, the renovation combines a complete infrastructure update with a reorganization of the original floor plan, while preserving structural elements such as the exposed concrete beams.

Rather than concealing the age of the building, the intervention retains selected existing elements and places them in dialogue with new timber surfaces, natural textures and contemporary furniture. The result is organized around greater continuity between the social spaces and a material palette that connects the apartment’s existing structure with the personal references of its residents.

 

An integrated social area

The new layout gives priority to the shared areas of the apartment.

The previously enclosed kitchen is opened towards the living and dining spaces and organized around a large central island. The kitchen consequently becomes part of everyday social activity, accommodating both meal preparation and gatherings with friends and family.

Access to the service area is concealed behind a flush door incorporated into the timber panelling of the dining area. Secondary functions are therefore absorbed within a continuous architectural surface, maintaining visual continuity across the main living space.

The living and dining areas are designed to support different activities without requiring fixed divisions. A double-sided sofa separates a more informal sitting area from the television zone, while a continuous bench extends along the room, providing seating and integrated storage.

 

Existing concrete and natural textures

Materiality establishes a direct relationship between the original building and the new interior.

The exposed concrete beams are retained as visible traces of the 1970s structure, allowing the construction of the building to remain legible within the renovated apartment. Against these harder surfaces, timber and natural textures introduce a more tactile layer.

Woven straw has particular significance within the material palette, referring to the Portuguese background of one of the residents. The reference is incorporated through material rather than decorative imagery, introducing a personal element within the broader architectural composition.

Walls and ceilings receive textured finishes in neutral tones. Their uneven surfaces respond subtly to changes in natural and artificial light, providing variation without introducing additional colours or decorative layers.

 

A powder room within the existing infrastructure

The powder room is created by reusing the plumbing shaft associated with the former service bathroom.

This adjustment takes advantage of the existing infrastructure while adapting the apartment to its new social organization. A countertop in Verde Vitória Régia quartzite becomes the principal material element, its manually finished surface emphasizing the natural variations of the stone.

Travertine mosaic flooring is combined with green-toned wallpaper, establishing a more concentrated material and colour palette than in the main living areas.

A watercolor depicting the resident’s family home in Portugal introduces another personal reference, connecting the renovated apartment in São Paulo with memories of a different domestic setting.

 

The private areas

The main suite was enlarged to incorporate a generous walk-in wardrobe with light timber cabinetry.

The lighter joinery contrasts with the darker herringbone flooring, while a vanity positioned beside the window takes advantage of natural light. Rather than treating the room as a collection of independent furniture pieces, several functions are incorporated within the overall composition.

A rectangular ottoman introduces additional texture, while a bench designed by the studio combines curved geometry with a subtle colour accent.

The guest suite has a dual function and can also operate as a home office. In everyday use, it provides a dedicated space for the couple’s two dogs, allowing the room to adapt according to changing domestic needs.

Lighting without lowering the ceiling

Maintaining the original ceiling height was a specific consideration of the renovation.

Rather than introducing extensive suspended ceilings to accommodate services and lighting, recessed details resolve technical requirements while organizing illumination in the social areas and circulation zones.

Indirect lighting with warm colour temperatures and dimmable controls allows the atmosphere to change according to the time and use of each space. The strategy is integrated with a complete renewal of the apartment’s plumbing and electrical systems, together with preparation for home automation.

The technical upgrade therefore remains largely discreet, allowing the exposed original structure and the proportions of the rooms to remain clearly visible.

Brazilian design within the interior

The furniture selection introduces a further layer to the apartment through a focus on Brazilian design.

A dining table designed by AVAA Design is integrated into the social area, while Sérgio Rodrigues’ Moleca armchair forms one of the principal pieces in the living room. Furniture and objects by Gustavo Bittencourt, Jader Almeida, Estúdio Orth and Mel Kawahara complete the selection.

The furniture is therefore not treated as a separate decorative layer. Together with the retained concrete, timber surfaces and natural textures, it contributes to an interior where the existing architecture, contemporary interventions and personal references remain simultaneously visible.

A large-scale checkered floor extends across the social areas of a 200m² apartment, becoming both a graphic element and an organizing grid for family life, bespoke joinery and collected objects.

Brooklin Apartment in São Paulo by Küster Brizola Arquitetos reinterprets the traditional checkered floor as the defining element of a contemporary family interior.

Designed for a couple with two children, the 200m² residence was conceived around everyday family life, entertaining and the gradual accumulation of memories. Rather than using the checkered pattern as an isolated decorative gesture, the architects extend it through almost the entire social area, allowing its geometry to organize the relationship among the living room, playroom, game room, dining areas and kitchen.

 

A checkered grid across the social spaces

The graphic flooring provides the apartment with its most recognizable identity. However, its role extends beyond visual impact.

Repeated at a large scale, the pattern begins to read almost as a continuous rug connecting the different areas. The dimensions of the grid align with bespoke cabinetry and stone countertops, introducing an underlying order across the plan.

This coordination allows furniture and fixed elements to respond to the same geometry. As a result, the floor becomes an architectural tool that reinforces continuity between functions instead of simply defining individual rooms.

Because of its strong visual presence, the flooring also influenced the wider material palette. Predominantly pale surfaces provide a quieter background, while blue accents introduce a cooler and more restrained atmosphere.

 

Timber as a continuous interior layer

American oak cabinetry appears throughout the apartment and creates a common material language between otherwise distinct spaces.

Its warm tone balances the graphic floor and lighter architectural surfaces. At the same time, the joinery incorporates ceramic objects produced in the family’s own pottery workshop.

These pieces introduce a personal history into the new interior. Rather than being displayed independently as decoration, they are integrated into the architecture of the storage and shelving, connecting the residents’ previous experiences with their new home.

 

 

Defining spaces without isolating them

Maintaining continuity across the social areas was another central concern. A multifunctional shelving unit organizes circulation while separating the playroom, game room and living room without creating complete visual barriers.

The playroom provides a particularly clear example. The developer had originally intended this area as a home office enclosed by a conventional wall.

Instead, the architects introduced a delicate metal-framed partition. The element gives the room the privacy required for children’s activities while preserving its visual relationship with the adjoining social spaces.

The strategy allows different programmes to coexist without fragmenting the apartment. Boundaries remain functional but visually permeable.

 

Collected objects and family memory

The interiors also accommodate furniture with an existing history rather than relying entirely on newly designed pieces.

In the game room, a century-old Italian pietra dura table sourced in Florence becomes one of the focal points. Its presence introduces another temporal layer into the otherwise contemporary environment.

Together with the ceramics made by the family, the table reinforces a recurring theme throughout the residence: new architecture provides a framework for objects carrying personal or material memory.

The apartment is therefore not conceived as an abstract composition detached from its occupants. Its identity emerges through the interaction of precise geometry, bespoke elements and pieces accumulated over time.

 

 

Kitchen and balcony as a shared centre

The integration of the gourmet balcony with the kitchen creates a large continuous area dedicated to cooking, dining and entertaining.

At its centre, an island in Paraná Cromos stone acts as the principal fixed element. Its bevelled edges are repeated in the everyday dining table, establishing a formal relationship between the two pieces.

Guache ceramic tiles by Portobello introduce green tones into the kitchen. Together with the American oak cabinetry, they expand the wider palette of blue, green and terracotta found across the residence.

The kitchen is therefore treated not as a separate service space, but as an active part of the social programme. Its connection with the balcony creates a generous setting where everyday domestic routines and larger family gatherings can overlap.

 

Geometry, comfort and identity

Throughout the apartment, geometric precision is balanced by tactile materials and objects associated with the residents’ own history.

The checkered floor establishes the grid. Timber cabinetry introduces warmth and continuity. Stone and ceramic surfaces bring variations of colour and texture, while permeable partitions preserve visual connections among the different functions.

The project ultimately transforms a familiar decorative pattern into a spatial device. By extending the checkered surface through the social areas and coordinating it with the architecture, Küster Brizola Arquitetos use geometry to structure circulation, strengthen relationships between spaces and provide a background for everyday family life.

Located in São Paulo, MAS House is the result of a complete remodeling by SUITE Arquitetos, conceived with spatial integration as its starting point and materiality as a structuring element.

The residence was reorganized around the family’s daily life, strengthening spatial continuity and the relationship between interior and exterior. Throughout the house, light, materials and furniture work together to create a calm and coherent living environment.

The Living Area as the Center of the House

At the center of the residence, the living area organizes the social program, bringing the sitting room, dining room, kitchen and outdoor space into the same spatial field.

Conceived as a versatile environment, it accommodates different forms of use, from everyday family life to quieter moments, always oriented toward the garden. Large openings expand the sense of space and make natural light an active component of the architecture, changing the atmosphere of the interiors throughout the day.

The outdoor area is therefore present from the main living spaces rather than treated as a separate part of the house. The garden becomes a constant visual reference and reinforces the continuity between domestic life and the surrounding landscape.

 

 

Material Continuity and Furniture

Materiality defines the identity of the project. Brushed Brazilian travertine establishes a continuous base across the social area, while cabinetry in dehydrated oak veneer extends through the interiors and reinforces the unity of the composition.

Woodstone quartzite, integrated into niches and the dining-room cabinetry, introduces texture and depth. Together with fabrics, smooth surfaces and carefully distributed lighting, the material palette creates a subtly golden atmosphere without visual excess.

Furniture operates as an extension of the architecture. In the living room, the side table and the lamp establish a balance between form and materiality.

The sofa was redesigned specifically for the project. Its straighter and more pronounced lines give it a central role in the composition and reinforce the project’s custom-designed character.

 

 

Private Rooms and the Garden

In the private areas, material continuity and chromatic neutrality create a quieter atmosphere. The primary suite combines woven textures, fabrics and timber flooring, with direct access to a balcony that re-establishes the connection with the exterior.

In the powder room, marble is used on the wall panel and for the sculpted basin with a honed finish. Diffuse lighting emphasizes the texture of the stone without dominating the space.

Outside, dense landscaping surrounds the pool and creates a private setting removed from the pace of the city. Furniture with simple lines and durable materials supports continuous everyday use.

Through the relationship between spatial integration, natural light and material continuity, MAS House proposes a fluid way of living in which the interior, garden, furniture and daily routines form part of the same domestic environment.

A House in the Forested Landscape of Canela

Set within a residential condominium in Canela, in the mountainous region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, House in Canela by 0E1 Arquitetos explores the relationship between architecture, construction technique and landscape. Surrounded by native forests and rolling hills, the house occupies a 500 sq.m. sloping plot, where the terrain drops approximately 10 m from the entrance to the chosen building site and around 15 m across the entire lot.

This topographical condition became one of the main conceptual drivers of the project. Rather than treating the slope and vegetation as obstacles, the design uses them as the basis for the siting, access and construction strategy of the house.

A Compact Retreat for Flexible Use

The house was commissioned by a family with a strong interest in architecture, who actively participated in discussions and decisions throughout the process. Conceived as both a weekend retreat and a short-term rental, the project required a compact and self-sufficient program capable of comfortably accommodating up to two couples.

Within approximately 120 sq.m. of built area, the house needed to ensure independence between bedrooms while maintaining generous spatial quality. The result is a small but carefully worked residence, where every square meter is tied to a clear functional and atmospheric intention.

 

 

Site Analysis and Minimal Impact

Before the design process began, a multidisciplinary team of biologists and surveyors carried out a detailed site analysis. Vegetation was mapped, trees were catalogued and species were classified as native or exotic, allowing the architects to understand the forested terrain with precision.

The house was placed in the only existing clearing on the plot, minimizing tree removal and reducing the need for major earthworks. This decision preserves the surrounding ecosystem and turns the forest into an active component of the architectural experience.

A Square Plan with Pinwheel Organization

The house is organized on a square footprint measuring 10.8 x 10.8 m. Within this regular geometry, the spaces are arranged dynamically in a pinwheel-like configuration. The living room occupies the center of the plan and acts as the main organizational core.

From this central room, the service areas and private zones radiate outward. Two independent suites, a kitchen, service area, barbecue area and terraces are connected to the central living space, creating a clear balance between communal use and privacy.

 

 

Light Steel Frame as Construction Strategy

The choice of a light steel frame system responds directly to the constraints of the terrain and to the experimental character of the project. Lightweight and quick to assemble, the system eliminated the need for concrete mixers on site and reduced impact on soil and vegetation.

A leveling slab acts as the platform for the metal structure, helping reduce waste, maintain a clean construction site and ensure precise control over the building process. Beyond its technical role, the steel frame also informed the architectural language of the house, allowing generous spans, accurate closures and a clear volumetric relationship with the landscape.

Industrial Materials at Domestic Scale

Instead of covering the steel frame to imitate conventional masonry, the house embraces its industrial logic. The exterior walls and roof are clad with trapezoidal sandwich panels, a material usually associated with industrial buildings, here applied at the scale of a domestic retreat.

The panels provide thermal and acoustic performance, require low maintenance and visually unify the building. Their installation demanded specialized teams, ensuring construction precision and a controlled finish. Externally, the dark-toned cladding reduces visual impact, allowing the house to appear discreetly among the trees.

 

 

Skylight, Openings and Forest Views

The asymmetrical roof culminates in a skylight at its highest point, creating the only direct view of the sky from within the dense forest. This opening brings consistent daylight into the interior, enhances the perception of space and creates shifting patterns of light and shadow throughout the day.

Generous floor-to-ceiling windows, 2.4 m high, bring in natural light and ventilation while turning the surrounding forest into a continuous presence inside the house. Slightly recessed rather than flush with the façade, the windows create a sequence of planes and framed views that add depth to the envelope.

Access Through the Terrain

Access to the house is carefully integrated into the slope. A staircase of 64 steps winds through the site, avoiding trees and roots. Each step measures 1.20 x 0.30 m, with intermediate landings of 1.20 x 1.20 m.

The staircase was adjusted during construction in response to the terrain. Centrally supported steps create subtle cantilevers, and together with the landscaping, they give the impression of a light, almost floating path through the forest.

 

 

Interior Planes, Wood and Slate

Inside, the architecture is organized in two visual planes. Up to 2.40 m high, the walls remain white, continuing through doors and terrace openings. Above this level, Tauari wood panels follow the slope of the roof, while black metal trim marks the material transitions and reappears at the baseboards.

Slate flooring reinforces the material palette. Originally supplied in 0.40 x 0.40 m slabs, it was cut into 0.10 x 0.40 m pieces, creating a pattern reminiscent of parquet. Over time, the slate develops a greenish patina, allowing the effects of climate and humidity to become part of the house’s character.

Living Room, Kitchen and Autonomous Suites

The living room, elevated about 2 m above the ground, opens onto a terrace with a hidden staircase leading to the garden. A wood-burning stove brings warmth to the cooler mountain climate and becomes a focal point in the central space. From here, the surrounding landscape unfolds like a constantly changing painting.

The kitchen faces the access side and maintains a direct relationship with the staircase and rear barbecue area. Basalt countertops are combined with cabinets in alternating white and wood finishes, following the interior’s broader material logic.

The suites are conceived as autonomous units. In the main bedroom, a wooden slat headboard incorporates a functional niche, while the bathroom door is camouflaged within the same plane, reinforcing visual continuity. Floor-to-ceiling windows open the bathroom to the forest, offering generous views while preserving privacy.

 

 

A Laboratory for Residential Construction

Started in 2021 and completed in 2024, House in Canela functions as an architectural laboratory. Its 120 sq.m. built area corresponds to the condominium’s minimum permitted size, achieved without removing trees by reducing lateral setbacks.

The construction process followed an efficient schedule: approximately two months for foundations, two weeks for assembling the steel structure and additional months for closures and interior finishes. Through this process, the project demonstrates how contemporary construction systems and materials rarely used at residential scale can respond to strict site conditions.

The result is a compact retreat that combines technical rigor with architectural sensitivity, offering an immersive experience of living within the landscape.

Modular Timber Architecture for Regenerative Tourism

Located in Barra dos Remédios, on the western coast of Ceará, Casa Daia Bungalows by UNA barbara e valentim forms part of a boutique hotel conceived around regenerative tourism, cultural immersion and a close relationship with the territory and its local community. Opened in 2025, Casa Daia is set within a remote and environmentally sensitive area, where architecture is asked to respond not only to program and comfort, but also to landscape, logistics and environmental care.

The project occupies a former farm of approximately 220 hectares, where mangroves, dunes, riverbanks, caatinga vegetation and coastal forest coexist in a complex overlap of ecosystems. Within this context, the bungalows operate as a precise and low-impact architectural insertion, using industrialized timber construction as a tool for hospitality in fragile territories.

Four Bungalows in Existing Clearings

The intervention consists of four bungalows, each approximately 90 sq.m., carefully positioned in existing clearings in order to avoid the removal of native vegetation. Shallow foundations and elevated decks minimize direct interference with the soil and preserve the natural permeability of the land.

The position of each volume was guided by studies of solar orientation and prevailing winds. Cross ventilation, shading and thermal comfort are achieved without relying on mechanical systems, allowing the buildings to work with the climate rather than against it.

 

 

Verandas, Overhangs and the Continuity of Landscape

The bungalows are defined by verandas, generous overhangs and large protected openings. These elements establish a continuous relationship between interior and landscape, allowing natural light, shade and air to become structuring parts of the spatial experience.

The architecture avoids a hard boundary between building and site. Instead, it creates shaded thresholds and open edges, where the experience of hospitality is shaped by the surrounding vegetation, the coastal climate and the slower rhythm of the land.

Modular BV: An Industrialized Timber System

The bungalows were built using Modular BV, a construction system developed by UNA barbara e valentim in partnership with the Brazilian engineered timber manufacturer Crosslam, and assembled on site by Abaeté Construtora e Incorporadora. The system is based on prefabricated modules made of reforested eucalyptus CLT, produced in a controlled factory environment and dry-assembled on site.

For a project located in a remote and environmentally sensitive area, this system offers clear advantages. It increases control over cost, time and environmental impact, while reducing waste and shortening the construction process compared to traditional high-end building methods.

 

 

Industrial Precision and Architectural Authorship

At Casa Daia, prefabrication is not treated as a limitation. By combining architectural authorship with industrial precision, the project proposes a model in which technology supports the architectural intention rather than replacing it.

The result is a modular timber system capable of responding to the environmental, logistical and cultural conditions of the site. Casa Daia is the second built example using the Modular BV system, following Modular Bahia, a single-family residence on the southern coast of Bahia that applied the same principles of independent timber structure, CLT enclosures, cross ventilation, shading and integration with the landscape.

Landscape, Community and Low-Impact Practices

The siting of the bungalows begins with the recognition of the environmental singularity of Barra dos Remédios, where multiple ecosystems and traditional ways of life coexist within a landscape that has resisted the passage of time. Before construction began, an extensive environmental zoning study was carried out, in alignment with the principles of regenerative tourism: minimal impact, integration with the landscape, appreciation of local culture and respect for the time of the land.

Casa Daia also maintains an ongoing dialogue with neighboring communities such as Pescada Nova and Praia Nova. The project prioritizes local labor, supports social initiatives and adopts low-impact practices, including rainwater harvesting, photovoltaic energy, waste management, agroforestry and the reduction of disposable plastics.

 

 

Architecture, Landscape and Community in Continuity

In a context marked by environmental and social transformation, Casa Daia positions itself as a sensitive and tangible alternative for contemporary tourism. The bungalows show how hospitality architecture can engage with remote territories without imposing itself on them.

Through modular timber construction, careful siting and a commitment to the surrounding community, Casa Daia articulates architecture, landscape and local culture in a relationship of continuity.

An Architect’s Own Apartment in São Paulo

Designed as his own residence, AC Apartment by Arthur Casas is a synthesis of technical precision, functionality and personal narrative. Located in Praça Henrique Monteiro, a mixed-use complex also designed by the architect, the apartment is conceived as a direct extension of his thinking on architecture, design and urban life.

Every decision, from the organization of the plan to the detailing of the carpentry, reflects a conscious adaptation to everyday use. The result is a residence that combines spatial fluidity, integrated systems and aesthetic intention, while marking a significant shift in the architect’s way of living: from a 1940s house in Pacaembu, designed by Artigas, to a more compact, contemporary and practical urban apartment.

A 300 sq.m. Plan Without Residual Space

With an area of approximately 300 sq.m., the apartment was designed to eliminate unused spaces and prioritize direct circulation, functional clarity and versatile environments. Full automation, custom-made solutions and extensive use of natural materials create an atmosphere that is precise but welcoming, controlled but lived-in.

The interior also functions as a calm background for Arthur Casas’ personal collection of artworks, sculptures, books, photographs, cherished objects and design pieces. As the architect notes, designing for himself was, in his words, easy: he knew what he liked and how he lived.

 

 

A Continuous Social Area

Upon entering the apartment, the integration of spaces is immediately apparent. The door opens into a continuous social area, where the living room, dining room, home theater and kitchen are connected through a single architectural gesture. Circulation is fluid and unobstructed, while fixed elements organize the space naturally.

In the living room, the Fusca sofa by Arthur Casas for Micasa occupies a central position, accompanied by Bauhaus chairs by Franco Albini, the Elda armchair by Joe Colombo and a Desenho coffee table by Arthur Casas. The atmosphere is strongly shaped by art, with works by Mira Schendel, Carlito Carvalhosa, Anna Maria Maiolino and Waltércio Caldas, among others.

Dining Room, Kitchen and Integrated Carpentry

The transition to the dining room is seamless. A dining table in canela wood slats, designed by Arthur Casas, is surrounded by Flair’o chairs from B&B Italia, while sculptures by Rafael Oboé, Liuba Wolf, Ilha do Ferro and Rhodes contribute to the layered character of the space. A painting by Paulo Pasta marks the wall, while embedded fixtures in the continuous wooden ceiling provide precise lighting throughout the apartment.

The kitchen features the Disco stool by Arthur Casas for Studio Objeto and Neolith Basalt Grey countertops, integrated into a custom carpentry structure designed by the architect. The cabinetry conceals appliances and optimizes storage, allowing the kitchen either to merge with the social area or to be closed off by a sliding door, according to use.

 

 

Home Theater and Multifunctional Office

Adjacent to the kitchen, the home theater revisits the Fusca sofa, now combined with the Tavolino 1932 side table by Gio Ponti, the Marsala armchair by Michael Ducaroy for Ligne Roset and a tapestry by Henri Laurens. Shelves display sculptures, ceramics and plates by Livia Gorka, Pablo Picasso and Jean Lurçat, alongside books and personal objects.

Between the social and intimate areas, the office operates as a multifunctional room. It serves as a workspace, while also accommodating a bed for visits from one of the architect’s children. The room features the Pivot High stool by Vitra and a collection of Arthur Casas’ miniature cars, displayed in custom-designed niches.

A Wooden Transition to the Private Areas

The corridor leading to the bedrooms is lined in wood, creating a quiet transition toward the private areas of the apartment. Along the walls, a collection of photographs includes works by Pierre Verger, Mario Cravo Neto, Bob Wolfenson and Cristiano Mascaro, turning circulation into a gallery-like sequence.

In the master suite, the atmosphere is defined by subtle lighting, vintage table lamps, technical fixtures such as the Ledtube by Marset, a continuous wooden ceiling and custom-designed furniture. A Giuseppe Scapinelli armchair and a Via Appia marble nightstand complete the room, alongside works by artists including Tarsila do Amaral, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Athos Bulcão and Flávio de Carvalho.

 

 

Technology, Precision and Atmosphere

Every technical detail was integrated with precision: central vacuum, embedded sound system, invisible air conditioning, anti-moisture system, intelligent sensors and full automation. Lighting fixtures by XAL highlight the artworks and materials with precise light distribution, without competing with the architecture.

This technical control supports the apartment’s broader atmosphere. The project is not only about efficiency or display, but about creating a living environment where infrastructure disappears into the architecture and allows materials, art and daily life to take the foreground.

Architecture Experienced at Scale 1:1

Living in an apartment he designed himself, from the building and plan to finishes and furniture, gives Arthur Casas the opportunity to experience his architecture at full scale. Praça Henrique Monteiro, which brings together hotel, restaurant, boulangerie, jazz club and residences within one complex, is understood by the architect as a living organism in constant adaptation.

For Casas, the apartment could not be separated from the wider project. Its meaning lies in the continuity of language between the residence, the tower and the other programs of the complex. AC Apartment is therefore both a private home and a lived manifesto: a compact urban residence shaped by architecture, art, memory and the routines of everyday life.

A Wooden Façade in a Densely Wooded Setting

Built from scratch in a densely wooded area of São Paulo, MLL Residence by Dado Castello Branco Arquitetura is introduced through a wooden façade that immediately reveals the project’s organic character. The house is conceived in close relation to the landscape, where architecture, vegetation and everyday family life are brought into a continuous domestic experience.

The residence does not stand apart from its surroundings. It is framed by trees, shaded paths and generous timber elements, allowing the built volume to settle softly within the garden while maintaining a clear architectural presence.

Landscape as an Extension of Domestic Life

A defining feature of the project is the way the landscaped pathways, designed by Isabel Duprat, appear to flow naturally into the interiors. This continuity creates a direct connection between the residence and the neighboring property, which belongs to the resident’s brother.

The gesture reflects an important aspect of the family’s daily life: the tradition of gathering for shared meals. Landscape is therefore not treated as a decorative frame, but as an active part of the house, supporting movement, encounter and everyday rituals.

A House Organized Around Family Connection

The relationship between the two neighboring properties gives the project a specific social dimension. The pathways do more than organize circulation through the garden; they reinforce the bond between two houses and the family members who inhabit them.

A wide canopy shelters the walkway toward the second house, creating a protected passage through the vegetation. This architectural element turns movement between the two homes into a daily experience of proximity, shade and continuity.

Tropical Greenery and the Social Area

In the social area, a striking wall of Monstera deliciosa forms a lush green backdrop. Native to Central America and widely loved in Brazil, the plant introduces depth, texture and drama into the interior atmosphere.

This living surface reinforces the project’s broader intention: to allow vegetation to participate directly in the spatial experience of the house. Greenery is not kept outside the architecture, but becomes part of how the residence is perceived, used and inhabited.

Generous Openings, Wooden Eaves and Spatial Amplitude

The residence is defined by expansive openings, generous wooden eaves and a ceiling height of 3.50 m, all of which enhance the feeling of spaciousness. These elements allow the house to feel both sheltered and open, protected from the climate while remaining connected to the surrounding vegetation.

Through material warmth, landscape continuity and an emphasis on family gathering, MLL Residence forms a calm and generous living environment. The project turns the house into a place where architecture and nature support a shared way of life.