Berrini 901, located on Avenida Engenheiro Luís Carlos Berrini in the Brooklin Novo district, is the result of the transformation of a former corporate building into a contemporary residential development. The project was based on the full reuse of the existing structure, which reduced carbon emissions and allowed for a faster construction process, enhancing delivery without compromising architectural quality.
The transformation of the building also reflects changes in the area’s pattern of occupation, which has seen growing demand for residential units and new ways of inhabiting the Berrini axis. The conversion is pioneering in the region, and the building is the first residential development along this stretch of the avenue. As such, the project contributes to the diversification of uses in an area traditionally characterized by office buildings and the urban challenges associated with low functional diversity, such as highly concentrated peak circulation periods.
The defining intervention was the creation of a metal exoskeleton that wraps the building. This solution added external slabs and enabled the introduction of continuous balconies with planters, elements that give the complex a new residential identity. In addition to housing air-conditioning condensers, these balconies strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior spaces and increase the building’s permeability to cross ventilation. The modulation of openings and new external areas was guided by the expansive views of the region, enhancing natural daylight and taking advantage of the building’s elevated position along the Berrini axis.
At ground level, leisure and communal areas are integrated with gardens and spaces for staying, forming an active and permeable plane that establishes a closer dialogue with the urban surroundings. This configuration reinforces the idea of a ground floor that welcomes pedestrians and contributes to the vitality of the area.
Berrini 901 exemplifies a growing movement toward the requalification of existing buildings in the city. The project demonstrates how precise architectural solutions can adapt pre-existing structures to meet contemporary housing demands, contributing in a sustainable and intelligent way to the future of urban living.
Project: Berrini 901(Retrofit)
Location: Brooklin, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
Site Area: 1.473,25 sqm
Original Built Area: 11.614,66 sqm
Total Built Area (Legal Project): 12.235,66 sqm
Design Period: 2023 - 2025
Construction Period: 2024 - 2025
Retrofit project for the conversion of a corporate building into a residential building, comprising:
Four basement levels with parking and technical areas
Ground floor with garden units, leisure facilities, and technical areas
Eight upper floors with residential units
Units description:
8 HU studio apartments approx. 41.70 sqm
104 HU 1-bedroom units ranging from approx. 30.50 to 53.30 sqm
8 HU 1.5-bedroom units (bedroom + study or guest room) approx. 63.65 sqm
8 HU 2-bedroom units approx. 58.80 sqm
4 HU garden units ranging from 67.70 to 69.00 sqm
Architecture: Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados
Authors: Jorge Königsberger, Gianfranco Vannucchi, João Payar and Claudio Inserra
Co-authors: Ana Peral, Giselle Garay, Raquel Abdian
Team: Alex Silva, Ana Carvalho, Caio Morenghi, Carlos Cordoba, Gregório Pierola, Ismael Lopes, Marina Luxi, Mima Krupuskaya, Talita Pedersoli, Tamara Santos, Thawan Trigo, Carla Estrella (technical director), Liliana Vergamini Luna de Sá (operations director), Daniel Toledo (executive director).
Photography: Pedro Vannucchi
Video: Pedro Vannucchi e Alex Silva
Developer: Vila 11
Development Structuring: BR Company
Construction: RMR engenharia
HVAC: Willem Scheepmaker & Associados
Structural Engineering: Monteiro Linardi Engenheiros Associados
Steel Structure: Paulo R. O. Mattos
Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing: Fator Engenharia e Projetos
Interior Design: Details Arquitetura & Interiores
Landscape Design: Teco Paisagismo
Façade and Enclosures: Addor & Associados
Steel Structure Supplier: Skylight Estruturas Metálicas
Original Corporate Building Design: Ricardo Julião
About Königsberger Vannucchi Arquitetos Associados
For 54 years, we have developed architecture and planning projects based on a collaborative, forward-looking, and culturally responsible approach.
Over these five decades, we have created, together with our clients, emblematic buildings and urban spaces in Brazil’s most important cities. Our contemporary architecture responds to the challenges of its time, identifying transformations and reinventing itself with each new cycle.
For us, design is a collective act. Through a diverse, talented, and experienced team, we develop spaces that seek to respond today to the needs of tomorrow.
We continually invest in innovation and combine it with our commitment to technical excellence in order to deliver assets of high economic and cultural value.
