Renovating an old house goes far beyond updating finishes. In many cases, the greatest challenge lies in preserving the history of the property while adapting it to the needs of a new way of living. This was precisely the starting point for Casa AJ, a 72-square-meter residence in the Saúde neighborhood of São Paulo, which underwent a complete transformation designed by architect Lívia Leite, founder of Estúdio Maré.
Developed for a new resident, the project sought to update the house without erasing its essence. Rather than concealing the original features of the building, the studio chose to highlight them, combining restoration, contemporary solutions and an architectural approach that respects the passage of time.
The first intervention already reveals this concept. On the façade, the original exposed brickwork was restored, while the former wooden window frame on the upper floor — which had been replaced by an aluminum version — was brought back into the composition of the residence. Painted in a shade of green inspired by the original architecture itself, the front door and window frames reinforce the dialogue between past and present.
The combination of exposed brick, wood and vegetation creates a welcoming façade and highlights the use of natural materials, a characteristic found throughout the project.
“We have always believed that a renovation should reveal a house’s qualities rather than conceal them. In this residence, every decision sought to preserve its architectural memory while creating spaces prepared for a new way of living,” explains architect Lívia Leite.
The main transformation took place in the social area. The kitchen ceased to be merely a support space and took on a central role in the house, becoming its main gathering area.
To achieve this, a new structural opening was created to connect the kitchen directly to the backyard. The intervention required structural studies and specific reinforcements, allowing the spaces to be integrated, increasing the amount of natural light and encouraging cross-ventilation without compromising the integrity of the existing structure.
Another defining element of this integration is the green bi-fold metalwork, which connects the interior and exterior spaces and echoes the same shade of green originally found in the residence. In addition to its functionality, the element becomes an important visual identity feature of the project.
Inside, all the built-in cabinetry was custom-designed to meet the resident’s daily needs. The central island provides much of the kitchen’s storage and serves as a gathering point in the house, while the cabinets were designed to blend discreetly into the existing architecture. Special attention was given to lighting above the countertops, providing comfort for everyday use while highlighting the textures of the materials.
At the rear of the property, the laundry area was relocated to receive natural light and ventilation. To ensure privacy without blocking the entry of light, Estúdio Maré specified a glass-brick wall, a solution that combines functional performance with visual lightness. Next to it, a powder room was created to serve both guests and the resident when using the ground floor.
The choice of materials followed the same principle of respecting the original structure. Whenever possible, existing elements were preserved and restored, including the wooden flooring, window frames and exposed brick walls. When new materials were introduced, the selection favored finishes with a natural appearance, subtle textures and a neutral palette, ensuring that the interventions would complement rather than compete with the existing architecture.
In the private area, the bedroom suite retains the original wooden flooring and exposed brick wall, preserving the welcoming character of the residence. The bathroom, meanwhile, was completely updated with new finishes, cabinetry, fixtures and fittings, providing greater comfort and functionality without breaking with the architectural language established throughout the rest of the house.
All the cabinetry and stonework were developed exclusively for the project, allowing for customized solutions that follow the architecture and reinforce the sense of continuity between the different spaces.
“The best renovations are those in which the history of the house can be perceived living naturally alongside the new solutions. We did not want the project to feel like a rupture, but rather an evolution of what the residence had always been. Preserving materials, restoring original elements and making precise interventions made the result much more authentic,” says Lívia Leite.
More than simply modernizing a residence, Casa AJ demonstrates that preservation can also be a form of innovation. By restoring original elements, integrating the spaces and investing in solutions carefully designed around the resident’s daily life, Estúdio Maré delivers a project that brings together memory, functionality and contemporary architecture in an elegant and timeless way.
Team:
Architecture: Estúdio Maré | Lívia Leite
Photography: Monica Assan
