The Brazilian CASA 14 Arquitetura, an officer led by architects Mariana Andersen and Mariana Guardani, conducted the renovation of this São Paulo townhouse. It shed a new light on the original project, designed in the 1970s and deteriorated after 40 years of use. While the former project had compartmentalised floors, little clarity and impaired circulation, the new one brought a new perspective of the social areas and integrated the spaces. A young couple currently inhabits the house.
In order to make the necessary changes, a number of obstacles had to be overcome. These included the excess walls that divided the spaces; a building that occupied 100 square meters of backyard grounds; a two step gap on the ground floor.
The architects began by eliminating the annex and removing the partitions of the lowest floor of the house. They moved on to level the floor of the social area. According to Mariana Andersen, these changes integrated the rooms and enlarged the gardens - including the internal one, which made the balcony become the main living environment, ensuring the transition between the living room, kitchen and backyard. The intimate area was created upstairs.
A glass covered the living room, extending the sliding door, to increase the perception of lateral recoil and lighting. This allowed for a repagination and extension of the internal garden. After the renovation, the rooms are in communication, surrounded by a curtain of sunlight and plants. Particular attention was given to the rooms on the west face, which gained a privileged position for the sunset. When seen from the street, it is impossible to know that this is a townhouse. A pivotal main door gives access to the intermediary level of the residence. The office has a separate entrance on the right side.
The request for a kitchen partially joined to the social area was attended with the concrete leaked partition and joinery. Hitherto dark and closed, the environment benefited from the replacement of the wall in front of the porch with sliding doors. It reinforced the inside-outside connection. Something similar happened in the office, where the slab rests on the side walls, releasing the stretch from the ceiling to the glass closure. The pergola of reinforced concrete has four main beams that support the pillars of the facade and extend to the beginning of the internal garden, making possible the great balance.
