Project Credits & Specs
- Architecture: Goiva Arquitetura
- Photography: Manuel Sá
- Location: São Paulo, Brazil
- Area: 340 m2
- Year: 2024
- Project Team: Karen Evangelisti, Marcos Mendes
Project Description
A young family in São Paulo’s charming Vila Madalena neighborhood dreamt of a home that truly embraced their lifestyle – one brimming with inviting social spaces and generous outdoor living. Missing the freedom of an apartment, they approached Goiva Arquitetura with a vision: a completely renovated residence featuring an integrated kitchen, a refreshed master suite, a comfortable nursery, a dedicated home office, and a private, independent space for a psychologist’s practice.
Goiva Arquitetura’s core objective was clear: optimize the home’s three levels to create welcoming, multifunctional living areas.
Ground Floor: Seamless Flow and Integrated Living
The transformation began on the ground floor. By strategically reorganizing the spaces and creating a new central entrance through the façade, the architects achieved a continuous flow, effortlessly connecting the living and dining areas. A more secluded TV room was thoughtfully incorporated, complete with a compact, efficient office nook – perfect for both relaxation and focused work.
The kitchen, a central element of the family’s request, was reimagined as a spacious, organic island. Surrounded by essential support areas, it seamlessly integrates with the living and dining spaces, forming the vibrant social heart of the home, just as the residents desired. This design fosters connection and ease, making it ideal for daily family life and entertaining.
Upper Level & Private Retreats: Comfort Meets Functionality
Ascending to the upper level, a generous social terrace awaits. Designed for memorable family reunions and lively social gatherings, this space is thoughtfully equipped with a barbecue and configured as a sun-drenched solarium, offering ample opportunity for outdoor enjoyment.
The renovation extended to the private quarters, including a complete overhaul of the couple’s bedroom and the son’s nursery. The design throughout these intimate spaces thoughtfully incorporates earthy tones and natural wood, ensuring a harmonious aesthetic that resonates with the home’s overall decor. Bathrooms were also revitalized with new, elegant coverings in neutral tones and wood accents, enhancing their welcoming and refined ambiance.
Basement Transformation: Light, Greenery, and Independent Access
The most remarkable transformation unfolded in the basement. The previously built-up area has given way to a serene garden patio that ushers natural light into the surrounding spaces, particularly the bedrooms. This green backdrop creates a tranquil and private atmosphere. External stairs elegantly encircle the garden, providing convenient access to the house directly from the garage, blending practicality with aesthetic appeal.
Architectural Highlights: Inviting Design & Mexican Influences
A true design statement, the arrival portico serves as a captivating introduction to the residence. Featuring a thoughtfully designed garden and a striking concrete box, it warmly invites visitors into the home.
The entire project’s material selection and color palette draws inspiration from Mexican architecture. This influence is beautifully materialized through warm tones and rich natural textures, creating an inviting and unique character. Distinctive shades of pink define the home’s vibrant palette, perfectly harmonized by the raw beauty of corten metalwork and sophisticated joinery.
The project description is provided by the architects via Cobogó Relações Públicas.
About the Architects
A gouge is a tool used in wood engraving to give precision to the curves of the lines. It is what shapes creation, giving form to different stories. Similarly, the Goiva office bases its work on the protagonism of creation. In each project, the focus is on highlighting the journey in architecture in a poetic way, showing that creation becomes conception—that is, it is something alive that starts from an idea. At the end of each project, they seek to manifest results that are the fruits of creation, processes, and the poetic envelope of architecture. Led by architects and partners Karen Evangelisti and Marcos Mendes, architecture is seen as the exercise of sculpting spaces and ideas, materializing and executing unique projects that meet the unusual.
