Trajectory Apartment

Gabriel Lima

• Architects

Starting with its name, the renovation project for this apartment, developed by Hersen Mendes Arquitetura, an architecture office based in Brasília, Brazil, reflects the trajectory of a family that, after having lived on the same block, moved to this new property, now adapted to meet their current demands.
Consisting of a couple and their two children, the family sought a space that could reflect their history. Named Apartamento Trajetória (Trajectory Apartment), the project is based on the idea of everyday paths and flows, organizing circulation and environments from the moment of arrival home.
The narrative of the space is constructed right at the entrance, where residents leave their belongings in the hall and proceed to the kitchen, located next door, helping themselves to drinks from the wine cellar strategically positioned along the way. From there, the path leads to the living room, the center of family life and the main living area of the apartment.

photo_credit Gabriel Lima — Gabriel Lima

In this space, the architects' goal was to create a feeling of being at home while also being connected to the outside world. The large balcony, with its generous openings, provides a panoramic view of the city of Brasília and expands the perception of space. The dining room was positioned in this environment, standing out for the presence of a large tensoflex skylight, which illuminates the table both during the day and at night, consolidating the second nucleus for family gatherings.
Another highlight of the project is the acoustic room, a versatile space that also houses a sofa and television. Designed to cater to the family's passion for music, the room allows for musical gatherings without disturbing the rest of the apartment: when necessary, doors can be closed to ensure soundproofing.

One of the main demands of the residents was the creation of three suites: one for the couple and two for their children. Even without hydraulic infrastructure in the original project, the architects made the third suite feasible by installing a sewage grinder, allowing for the inclusion of an additional bathroom.
In the children's suites, each room has a dedicated study area, as well as bathrooms discreetly camouflaged by wooden panels. In the couple's suite, a home office was incorporated, catering to the resident's habit of working at night.

Although spacious, the master suite had little natural lighting, with only one small window. To remedy this situation, the architects used visual resources and optical illusions, such as horizontal elements that create a sense of continuity and the use of mirrors and new textures, which help reflect natural light throughout the room.
In the couple's bathroom, considered one of the main obstacles to light entering the room, the floor plan was redesigned with the creation of a sloped and beveled wall, allowing for greater incidence of natural light. Vertical and elongated tiles, in dialogue with the fluted glass of the oblong window, create a continuous visual sequence, making the space more comfortable and pleasing to the eye.
As the final layer of the intervention, the production of the environments brought together architecture, art, and memory. In partnership with the clients, the architects selected works by Brazilian artists, especially from Brasília, as well as furniture and sentimental objects that are part of the family's history. The result is a home that preserves lived experiences while leaving room for new memories to continue to be built.