Dendê Duratex Concept House in Brazil by Nildo José

Driven by a ‘Planet Home’ theme, prominent Brazilian architect Nildo José designed a concept residence in partnership with architectural materials company Duratex, located at the Jockey Club of São Paulo. The 155sqm interior is fluid and minimalist, encompassing living, kitchen and dining rooms in a rectangular space with no official dividing walls – almost like a highly aspirational studio.

Using a wide variety of Duratex materials, Nildo expresses an emotional bond with his hometown of Bahia, a tropical northeastern state in Brazil traditionally associated with a vibrant and multicoloured aesthetic. Nildo’s take encompasses a more neutral and refined approach rich in art, textiles and sculptural elements. Abundant clean, straight lines and punctual curves reference the Recôncavo of Bahia, a coastal, concave piece of land with verdant sugarcane fields.

Directly aligned with the front entrance, a 15m marble slab stretches down one side of the house, illuminated by an LED ribbon. The feature is meant to welcome visitors, subtly recalling Bahian mysticism. A concave stone portico clad with panels of dark Duratex timber curves above the marble feature, creating an illusion that confuses the vertical plane with the horizontal. Burnt cement walls are coated in a natural linen shade, a contrast to the dark timber and reference to the simplistic style of Bahia beach houses.

Natural stone floors reflect natural light from full-height glass facades which face an outdoor seating area and garden, bringing nature’s influence inside the house and referencing the colours of the Brazilian landscape. A skylight is protected by special glass that controls the sun’s rays and a gridded ‘muxarabi’ screen. This traditional element of Bahian architecture further dilutes the sunlight, whilst at the same time casting intriguing shadows courtesy of the tight grid pattern.

The gridded screen is a motif used throughout the home, with a white panelled box in the centre of the space comprising both the kitchen and bathroom, fold-out doors and screens concealing the amenities.

In the lounge room, a ‘gourmet island’ by Nildo is a recreation of an original Joseph Dirand design. A large shelf designed in partnership with Florense exhibits rows of glass bottles filled with Bahia white sand, a subtle reference to the colonial origins of the Recôncavo. Most of the textiles were brought from Bahia, made with a traditional manual loom.