House is modernized and gains a design of 845 m² distributed over five floors

It took two years to fully execute the renovation, expansion and decoration project for this house located in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood (RJ), where a family consisting of a couple with three children already lived. To grow the property to its current 845 m² of built area, spread over five floors, architects Carolina Escada and Patricia Landau , from Escala Arquitetura , faced major challenges, starting with the 268 m² plot of land, which is narrow and sloping, with the street level of the condominium being the highest point and an avocado tree being the lowest point. “What we would find when excavating the land to expand a few floors and create a second basement was a mystery. We made everything possible by doing extensive structural planning,” says Carolina. Originally, the house had a semi-underground floor (where the service area and garage were located), a ground floor (which contained the kitchen, dining room and living/TV room) and two floors above (where the family bedrooms and a terrace with a playroom, swimming pool and sauna were located). After the renovation, the semi-underground floor was extended and transformed into a large entertaining area, with a living room and gourmet space integrated into an open balcony, complete with an infinity pool overlooking the landscape. A second basement was dug beneath it to house a guest bedroom, a new playroom, a new service area and a balcony with a spa and sauna.

The second floor was the one that underwent the most changes: previously, the terrace (with swimming pool and sauna) took up most of the area and the rest was occupied by the son's bedroom and a small playroom. With the renovation, a spacious suite was created for the couple, with a large closet and bathroom, as well as an office with a balcony. “ The neutral and natural tones in the finishing materials highlight the works of art, decorative objects and landscaping . The wood warms up the spaces, while the textures, both on the walls and in the furniture, bring comfort to the eye and to the touch”, says Carolina. In terms of decoration, among the new furniture in the social areas, the architects prioritized timeless Brazilian design pieces, such as the Oscar chairs and EP12 mirrors by Sergio Rodrigues , and the Anita stools and Alice armchair by Aristeu Pires . “It is worth remembering that the children participated a lot in the decisions for their respective rooms, showing their personality in the style of the furniture and in the choice of fabrics, wallpapers and decorative objects”, highlights architect Patricia Landau.