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Domus Legalis — Criminal Defense Law Firm
Domus Legalis — Criminal Defense Law Firm
Jardins, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Other Projects by StudioVA arquitetos
Domus Legalis — Criminal Defense Law Firm
Jardins, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
The choice of a compact and carefully planned space to house the new headquarters of this criminal law firm in São Paulo reflects a strategic move: consolidating the team’s presence in the city with a physical structure that supports the complexity of its work, respects the confidentiality of its cases, and provides the appropriate conditions for analysis and highly qualified technical practice.
With 140 m², the new address mirrors the firm’s hybrid operation between São Paulo and Brasília. By opening its first headquarters in the city, the team prioritized a space that brings them closer to people — not only in client service, but also in day-to-day work relationships. The proposal stems from an understanding that, in Criminal Law, meetings require more than formality: they demand attentive listening, privacy, and, often, a sense of emotional support.
The decision to establish the office in a property designed by a notable architect — featuring generous spatial characteristics and a terrace — contributed to creating a headquarters that breaks with the impersonal standard of typical corporate suites. The building’s structure was preserved but reorganized around new circulation flows, privacy levels, and functional use.
To orchestrate the challenge, the founding partner invited StudioVA Arquitetos, led by architect Vinicius Almeida. The project begins with an understanding of the practice itself as the foundation for spatial decisions. The guiding principle was to create a space that feels like an extension of home: an environment where clients feel protected and understood from the moment they walk in—and where the team finds working conditions suited to the demands of their field.
Upon entering, a reception area with a waiting lounge distributes access to two meeting rooms—one dedicated to individual appointments and the other to larger groups. Both were positioned to allow clients to go directly from the garage to the meeting room without crossing operational areas. The organization of circulation is intentional: it ensures discretion, minimizes exposure, and respects the emotional state of those arriving.
The director’s office, the project’s central element, is located at the heart of the floor plan. Its position reflects the strategic role of leadership in the firm’s operations and serves as a point of articulation between key areas such as client service, staff, coordination, and support. Around it, the remaining rooms were distributed to optimize communication while preserving acoustic and visual separation.
Beyond the client-facing spaces, the project includes a second lounge reserved for the team. With comfortable furnishings and a design language aligned with the rest of the office, this area functions as a place for decompression, reading, or informal meetings. The goal was to break with typical formality and reinforce the importance of the work environment as an integral part of the firm’s culture.
Formally, the project moves away from orthogonal lines. Curved-edge wooden panels, continuous surfaces, and soft visual transitions shape its identity. This choice directly dialogues with the firm’s practice: rather than reinforcing the severity of the issues handled, the architecture offers a counterbalance. The curved elements were conceived as a language that softens, absorbs, and welcomes — including acoustically and perceptually.
Material choices were adjusted along the way to meet budget considerations. Flooring and wall finishes initially planned in premium versions were replaced with materials offering similar aesthetics and performance, maintaining conceptual coherence. Avoiding modular ceilings and opting for drywall allowed finer control over the ambiance and facilitated the integration of acoustic solutions in critical areas.
Artificial lighting was designed to respond to the diverse uses of the space. In operational zones, technical lighting supports focus, while in lounges and meeting rooms warmer tones contribute to a comfortable atmosphere. The terrace — part of the building’s original design — allows natural ventilation and frames outward views.
Circulation design is one of the proposal’s key elements. Separating client pathways from the team’s daily routines was essential to avoid unwanted intersections and ensure smooth workflow. Clients can arrive and leave discreetly; meanwhile, internal routes allow, when appropriate, closer interaction between team and client—reinforcing transparency and collective engagement in the cases handled.
The choice of the property contributed both technically and symbolically. The space possesses architectural qualities that were fully leveraged: generous ceiling height, abundant natural light, and balanced proportions. The intervention led by architect Vinicius Almeida respected these attributes, adding only what was necessary to guarantee acoustic performance, thermal comfort, and functional organization.
The design process was conducted in direct dialogue with the firm, which actively participated in decision-making and helped define the spatial priorities. This collaborative approach ensured that the final result accurately reflected both the operational needs and the subjective values that guide their practice.
Without resorting to traditional symbols of the legal field, the project adopts a direct and restrained language. Visual codes are expressed through materiality, the scale of the rooms, the way one moves through them, and the quality of time experienced inside the space. The result is a headquarters that organizes, shelters, and protects—while ensuring functionality, ergonomics, and clarity in work processes.
The proposal by StudioVA Arquitetos reaffirms one of its recent guiding approaches: bringing the sensibility of residential design into corporate environments—without sacrificing objectivity. Rather than replicating industrial models of production, the firm designs spaces that acknowledge the complexity of use and the role of architecture as a mediator of professional relationships. The project seeks to reflect a precise work environment, with a discreet presence and solutions crafted to support legal practice with the level of attentiveness it requires.
DATA SHEET
Location: Jardins, São Paulo, SP
Year of Design: 2025
Year of Completion: 2025
Interior Architecture: StudioVA Arquitetos
Lead Architect: Vinicius Almeida
Project Team: Camila Landeosi, Rafael Sousa, Maia Bonafé, Juliana Furst, Luis Felipe Torres
Lighting: Atrium
Landscape Architecture: Cecila Gontijo & Luciana Bacheschi Paisagismo
Electrical & Plumbing: Befive Engenharia
Construction Execution: Monteiro Engenharia
Photography: Israel Gollino
Communications / Text: Matheus Pereira Comunicação
Main Suppliers: Marcetex (window frames), Fort Corporativo (flooring), Novacorp (office furniture), Novo Ambiente (office furniture), Boobam (reception armchairs), Punto e Filo (rugs), Luxatec (lighting fixtures), Doimo (outdoor armchairs), Fernando Jaeger (outdoor table), StudioVA (bar cart)
With 140 m², the new address mirrors the firm’s hybrid operation between São Paulo and Brasília. By opening its first headquarters in the city, the team prioritized a space that brings them closer to people — not only in client service, but also in day-to-day work relationships. The proposal stems from an understanding that, in Criminal Law, meetings require more than formality: they demand attentive listening, privacy, and, often, a sense of emotional support.
The decision to establish the office in a property designed by a notable architect — featuring generous spatial characteristics and a terrace — contributed to creating a headquarters that breaks with the impersonal standard of typical corporate suites. The building’s structure was preserved but reorganized around new circulation flows, privacy levels, and functional use.
To orchestrate the challenge, the founding partner invited StudioVA Arquitetos, led by architect Vinicius Almeida. The project begins with an understanding of the practice itself as the foundation for spatial decisions. The guiding principle was to create a space that feels like an extension of home: an environment where clients feel protected and understood from the moment they walk in—and where the team finds working conditions suited to the demands of their field.
Upon entering, a reception area with a waiting lounge distributes access to two meeting rooms—one dedicated to individual appointments and the other to larger groups. Both were positioned to allow clients to go directly from the garage to the meeting room without crossing operational areas. The organization of circulation is intentional: it ensures discretion, minimizes exposure, and respects the emotional state of those arriving.
The director’s office, the project’s central element, is located at the heart of the floor plan. Its position reflects the strategic role of leadership in the firm’s operations and serves as a point of articulation between key areas such as client service, staff, coordination, and support. Around it, the remaining rooms were distributed to optimize communication while preserving acoustic and visual separation.
Beyond the client-facing spaces, the project includes a second lounge reserved for the team. With comfortable furnishings and a design language aligned with the rest of the office, this area functions as a place for decompression, reading, or informal meetings. The goal was to break with typical formality and reinforce the importance of the work environment as an integral part of the firm’s culture.
Formally, the project moves away from orthogonal lines. Curved-edge wooden panels, continuous surfaces, and soft visual transitions shape its identity. This choice directly dialogues with the firm’s practice: rather than reinforcing the severity of the issues handled, the architecture offers a counterbalance. The curved elements were conceived as a language that softens, absorbs, and welcomes — including acoustically and perceptually.
Material choices were adjusted along the way to meet budget considerations. Flooring and wall finishes initially planned in premium versions were replaced with materials offering similar aesthetics and performance, maintaining conceptual coherence. Avoiding modular ceilings and opting for drywall allowed finer control over the ambiance and facilitated the integration of acoustic solutions in critical areas.
Artificial lighting was designed to respond to the diverse uses of the space. In operational zones, technical lighting supports focus, while in lounges and meeting rooms warmer tones contribute to a comfortable atmosphere. The terrace — part of the building’s original design — allows natural ventilation and frames outward views.
Circulation design is one of the proposal’s key elements. Separating client pathways from the team’s daily routines was essential to avoid unwanted intersections and ensure smooth workflow. Clients can arrive and leave discreetly; meanwhile, internal routes allow, when appropriate, closer interaction between team and client—reinforcing transparency and collective engagement in the cases handled.
The choice of the property contributed both technically and symbolically. The space possesses architectural qualities that were fully leveraged: generous ceiling height, abundant natural light, and balanced proportions. The intervention led by architect Vinicius Almeida respected these attributes, adding only what was necessary to guarantee acoustic performance, thermal comfort, and functional organization.
The design process was conducted in direct dialogue with the firm, which actively participated in decision-making and helped define the spatial priorities. This collaborative approach ensured that the final result accurately reflected both the operational needs and the subjective values that guide their practice.
Without resorting to traditional symbols of the legal field, the project adopts a direct and restrained language. Visual codes are expressed through materiality, the scale of the rooms, the way one moves through them, and the quality of time experienced inside the space. The result is a headquarters that organizes, shelters, and protects—while ensuring functionality, ergonomics, and clarity in work processes.
The proposal by StudioVA Arquitetos reaffirms one of its recent guiding approaches: bringing the sensibility of residential design into corporate environments—without sacrificing objectivity. Rather than replicating industrial models of production, the firm designs spaces that acknowledge the complexity of use and the role of architecture as a mediator of professional relationships. The project seeks to reflect a precise work environment, with a discreet presence and solutions crafted to support legal practice with the level of attentiveness it requires.
DATA SHEET
Location: Jardins, São Paulo, SP
Year of Design: 2025
Year of Completion: 2025
Interior Architecture: StudioVA Arquitetos
Lead Architect: Vinicius Almeida
Project Team: Camila Landeosi, Rafael Sousa, Maia Bonafé, Juliana Furst, Luis Felipe Torres
Lighting: Atrium
Landscape Architecture: Cecila Gontijo & Luciana Bacheschi Paisagismo
Electrical & Plumbing: Befive Engenharia
Construction Execution: Monteiro Engenharia
Photography: Israel Gollino
Communications / Text: Matheus Pereira Comunicação
Main Suppliers: Marcetex (window frames), Fort Corporativo (flooring), Novacorp (office furniture), Novo Ambiente (office furniture), Boobam (reception armchairs), Punto e Filo (rugs), Luxatec (lighting fixtures), Doimo (outdoor armchairs), Fernando Jaeger (outdoor table), StudioVA (bar cart)
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