Joy House | ARKITITO Arquitetura

Located near a tranquil square in the Vila Madalena neighborhood of São Paulo, this house acquired by a couple—he is an engineer and she is a digital market entrepreneur—who live with their two cats, Tagata and Shuri. Although the house featured typical characteristics of the region's village residences, it had a unique advantage: a large garden at the back of the lot.

The landscaped patio, with its fruit trees, brought a countryside atmosphere to the urban environment, evoking memories of the countryside of the state where the owners spent their childhood. This detail was crucial in their selection by the property and seeing the potential for intervention based on this element in the project.

The residential layout distributed over three floors. On the street level, there is the garage and a room for storing sports equipment and other hobbies. On the first floor is the social area, which includes the office, living and dining rooms integrated with the kitchen, and the rear garden patio. The second floor houses the three bedrooms.

Originally, the construction had unique finishes that harmoniously preserved along with the planned interventions. Among the flooring materials, a beautiful wood floor with a "flower" pattern in two tones stands out, demarcating the office area, and the external floor composed of blue and white tile shards, connected by a white terrazzo floor that extends throughout the social area.

The openings in the rooms expanded, and the new glass roof enhances the illumination, reaching the center of the house while establishing a transition between interior and exterior.

To imprint the residents' personalities on the architecture, one of the starting points was the color zoning of the house. Wet areas, such as the kitchen and bathrooms, designated with the color blue. The social area, including the living rooms, the guest bathroom, and the staircase to the bedroom floor, marked by yellow. The private areas, such as the office and the master bedroom, highlighted in red.

This organization, combined with the application of 5x5 centimeter mosaic tiles, brought texture to the home, and the palette draws inspiration from original architectural details. Examples include the yellow mosaic-covered sink located under the stairs and the blue box in the master bathroom shower, honoring the home's sentimental memory.

In the interiors, the living rooms integrated with the kitchen through a visual axis. In the decoration, the joyful personality of the residents, which gave the house its name (Joy), reflected in the selection of furniture and accessories. On the rug with an organic design in gray and warm colors, by Rodrigo Ohtake for Punto e Filo, there is a composition of voluptuous upholstered pieces with curved lines, such as the Soane sofa by Brazilian designers Danilo Lopes and Paula Gontijo, the Cacau armchair by Roberta Banqueri, and the Tajá armchair with a yellow painted finish, designed by Sergio Rodrigues.

In the kitchen, the cabinets with a blue finish have wired glass doors. The wooden dining table surrounded by a set of Claudia chairs by Aristeu Pires.

In the garden, a tile panel by Brazilian artist Helena Leopardi unfolds to form a linear bench that runs the width of the lot, serving as seating for receptions and parties with friends and family. This technique evokes the neighborhood's muralist tradition, creating a focal point visible from the interior.

The color sides walls referencing the pinkish tone of the marble that covers the staircase and garage floors, harmoniously integrating the internal and external elements of the project. The landscaping project combines pre-existing vegetation with new species, chosen to create the impression that they have always been part of the site.

The expanded opening in the main facade marks the master bedroom with a new specially designed glass frame, featuring a fixed glass pane that acts as a guardrail and two sliding panes, from which the urban landscape can viewed.

Location: Vila Madalena, São Paulo – SP, Brazil
Project Year: 2022
Completion Year: 2023
Plot Area: 330 m²
Built Area: 225 m²
Architecture: ARKITITO Arquitetura
Lead Architects: Chantal Ficarelli, Tito Ficarelli, Larissa Ragaini
Text/Communication: Matheus Pereira
Photos: Andrea Soares
Main Suppliers: Gerdau, Sherwin Williams, Luminárias Reka, Deca, Pastilhas Jotobá, Ateliê Leopardi, Marcenaria Made Marchi, Stone House Marmoraria, Portas Pormade, Serralheria Santo Guilherme, Design Brasil Mobiliário, Punto e Filo