Creating a São Paulo branch for a law firm headquartered in the city of Brasília was the premise of this commercial project, designed by Três Arquitetura. Located on the 17th floor with sweeping views of the city, the space establishes an intimate, almost residential atmosphere that departs from the corporate language typical of such environments.
The firm has a small team and receives clients by appointment, which led the project to prioritize lounge areas and explore scenographic solutions in the conception and distribution of spaces. The informal character responded to a request from the team itself, which places great importance on client care and privacy.
Upon arrival, visitors are welcomed by an inviting sitting room rather than the reception desk typical of law offices. The private offices and meeting rooms feature pantry areas that encourage visitors to help themselves to drinks and coffee.
Wood and glass are the protagonists, complementing each other: the former brings warmth and unity to the project, while the latter frames sweeping views of São Paulo from multiple angles and was also used in the room partitions, creating visual continuity between spaces. The palette is restrained, with rattan and leather in subtle contrasts, neutral tones in different textures, and green marble tabletops as the focal point.
The furniture selection follows the same approach of creating a welcoming environment, with pieces that, beyond their function, define the intimate atmosphere of the space and engage with the predominant wood. The curation prioritized Brazilian designers, including Sérgio Rodrigues and Jader Almeida.
The project also gives prominence to works of art. The curation and positioning of each piece took into account how they would be viewed — up close or from a distance — and how the people who use and visit the space would relate to each one. Large-format paintings with striking imagery, photographs, prints, and small sculptures in bronze, wood, and clay were chosen not merely to decorate, but to provoke thought, emotion, and ideas in both the team who inhabits the space daily and the clients who visit it.
As a law office, acoustic comfort and isolation were paramount. Carpeting applied across most of the floor and suspended baffle panels integrated into the ceiling help absorb sound. Curtains positioned alongside the partitions also contribute to sound absorption and privacy, as do the insulated glazing units that divide the spaces.
The lighting design combines functionality and scenographic effect. A backlit shelving unit simulates a large window, with light that shifts in intensity and color throughout the day, automatically reproducing the circadian cycle. Pendant lights at varying heights according to their function, and directed spotlights, highlight specific objects such as the artworks, while in the collective workspace diffuse lighting provides general, more abundant illumination.
