Gallery-like Ambience: São Paulo Apartment by Gurgel D’Alfonso.

Rogério Gurgel and Caio D’Alfonso of architecture office Gurgel D`Alfonso have designed this São Paulo apartment for longtime family friend and London-based Brazilian fashion designer Pedro Trindade. Serving as a serene reprieve from the busy neighbourhood of Pinheiros, the home acts as an elevated backdrop for a few choice materials and furniture pieces.

Located in a small-scale modernist building dating back to the 1950s, Rogério and Caio pursued simplicity in the design, stripping the apartment of unnecessary elements and using the building’s exposed roof to their advantage. A warehouse-like environment was created, emphasising spaciousness and seamless articulation between rooms.

The bedroom, hidden behind a mirrored box blurs the limits between social and private areas and harmonises within the monochromatic setting. Inside a rustic terracotta world awaits with an open bathtub made of red terrazzo blending with untreated walls and the exposed roof trusses overhead.

Brazilian Brutalism: Chez Georges Private Villa in Rio de Janeiro.

This Brutalist Brazilian bombshell sits high on a hilltop in Rio’s bohemian Santa Teresa neighbourhood and is an absolute knockout...

Outside the box the architecture exudes a gallery-like ambience, showcasing a meticulously curated selection of Brazilian furniture, ranging from modernist classics to contemporary pieces.

The duo introduced vintage pieces by masters such as Jorge Zalszupin and Vladimir Kaga—clashing with contemporary pieces like the floor lamp by Rafael Triboli and furniture (including the hot hot silk wall tapestry) by designer Pedro Avila, whose production has a retro-futuristic appeal that relates to the apartment’s own brutalism roots. The art pieces bring a diverse panorama of young Brazilian artists and designers with pieces by names such as Poli Pieratti, Renato Rios and Raphael Tepedino.

The balance between raw elements, simple materiality and the precise selection of furniture and art pieces creates a unique and timeless interior that will be enjoyed for long into the future.

Compact, Budget Friendly Home in Brasilia, Brazil by Daher Jardim Arquitetura.

This is a brilliant example of less expensive materials used well to create a space with design merit, the robust nature of the metal roof...

[Images courtesy of Gurgel D’Alfonso. Photography by Joao Prado.]