The apartment is located in the Rio Branco neighborhood, in Porto Alegre. The challenge was to find a balance between a minimalist design, by using a few number of materials, and a comfortable environment, a guideline brought by customers: A young couple with newborn twin children who seek comfort and elegance to soften the impact of the bustling neighborhood in which the building is located. Spatial amplitude, functional organization and modest lines were the adopted strategies, so that the guidelines and expectations of the clients would be reached.
Built in the 80s, the building provided the apartment with aspects that diverge from the daily life of a current young couple. Spaces such as the lobby, guest dorm and compartmented areas were not part of the existing program. The existing masonry underwent occasional changes, so that the social area became the protagonist of the project. This is accomplished through the merge of the living room and the kitchen, made possible thanks to the relocation of the old toilet. Light and elegant materials, such as natural wood and white MDF, provide warmth and spaciousness.
The furniture was designed to accompany the masonry, mimicking the existent structure of the apartment. It results discreet to the observer and creates storage spaces, resulting in a clean and organized environment. The wooden MDF plan runs through the living room and the kitchen, serving as a boundary between the spaces and creating intimate environments for the couple and the newborn twins. In the social area, the wooden floor is chosen to make the project more respectful regarding the environment, also opposing the brutalism of apparent concrete in the upper slab.
It looks interesting combined with the metal beam, adopted as a structural reinforcement measure -- the apartment was a penthouse, which explains the previous structural intervention. The environment is attractive and inviting, giving users a social and living experience of great quality and warmth. The kitchen's main focus is to serve the couple with all the needs that newborn twin children require. The strategy was to use a large bench of natural wood, punctually combined with MDF in white lacquer, maintaining harmony with the living room. Household equipment is built in the MDF structure, so that abstract and clean surfaces are not affected by the demand for utensils.
The private area, comprising the couple's suite and the twins' bedroom, is separated from the social area by a pivoting door hidden, mimetizing with the wooden plane. The apartment did not have a double suite. The new suite results from the transformation of the old bedroom, the pantry and the service bathroom. The gain in space and amplitude results from the creation of an integrated bathroom. Accessible directly through the bedroom, thanks to a door integrated in the wooden panels on the walls, the toilet is detached from the rest of the room.
