September 21, 2026 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
a SAO PAULO APARTMENT AMONG the TREETOPS
words Noah Mercer
photos Carolina Lacaz
In São Paulo’s Jardins district, Kiko Castello Branco Arquitetura reworks a 340-square-metre apartment around openness, Brazilian design and surrounding greenery. Travertine, warm timber and a layered furniture selection create a natural sense of continuity.
Set on the fourth floor of a corner building, AC Apartment sits almost level with the surrounding tree canopy. That proximity to the landscape became a starting point for Kiko Castello Branco Arquitetura, which had previously worked with the owners — a couple with two daughters — on the guest house of their countryside retreat. The original plan is formed by two volumes rotated at 45 degrees and joined by a central winter garden, with social and private areas occupying separate wings. Rather than undoing that structure, the architects opened sightlines and softened the transitions between spaces.
OPENING THE PLAN
The change is apparent as soon as the lift doors open. Walls around the entrance hall were removed, allowing the living areas to come into view immediately, while partitions leading towards the bedrooms were replaced by rounded corners. One of the former bedrooms was incorporated into the social area and converted into a home cinema.
The winter garden was also reconsidered. Heavy mullions gave way to glazing with concealed profiles, making the greenery feel less like a framed view and more like an extension of the interior. Travertine flooring and a slatted Louro Pardo timber ceiling continue across the social spaces, tying the rooms together.
At one end, the winter garden draws the surrounding canopy into the room. At the other, a long Michelangelo Bordeaux marble sideboard runs along the wall, echoed by a custom bench beneath the windows that combines stone plinths with upholstered seating. Together, these elements give the open plan structure without dividing it.
BRAZILIAN DESIGN ACROSS GENERATIONS
The furniture brings together different moments in Brazilian design rather than adhering to a single period. Pieces by Eduardo Chalabi, Roberta Banqueri and Jader Almeida sit alongside designs by Sergio Rodrigues, Percival Lafer and Jorge Zalszupin, with works by Mula Preta Studio and Isabelle de Mari completing the living room.
The mix feels collected rather than overly composed. Off-white, green and caramel upholstery sits against warm timber, while works by Arthur Grangeia and Domingos Tótora introduce another layer. Throughout, the trees outside remain a constant presence.
STONE, TIMBER AND A SCARPA REFERENCE
The dining room continues the same dialogue between Brazilian design and bespoke architecture. At its centre is Jorge Zalszupin’s 3.5-metre Guanabara table, sourced from an antique dealer and paired with Bernardo Figueiredo’s Prima chairs and Arthur Casas’ Amorfa pendant. Catuaba wood cabinetry follows the building’s structural rhythm, concealing storage, a bar and a stone sink behind an almost uninterrupted surface.
Pocket doors open onto the kitchen, enlarged by removing the former pantry and part of the service area. A timber-and-stone island combines food preparation with informal dining, while the floor introduces a less expected reference: small Bege Bahia marble tiles set in terrazzo grout, inspired by Carlo Scarpa’s floor for the Olivetti Showroom in Venice.
