The clients of Sumarezinho Apartment came to us to redesign their apartment after the months of intense domestic living caused by the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There was a great need to bring more light into the internal space, since the unit is located in the basement of the building, backed by a terraced garden. However, with the new routine established, we wanted not only to visually expand the 75m² of internal space by integrating the programs, but also to create a space where it was possible to work from home with some privacy.
Based on these prerogatives, the project started with the total demolition of the existing masonry, removing one of the bedrooms and relocating the couple's suite to the area where the kitchen/utility area used to be. This initiative made it possible to gain two of the windows for the social area, as well as the glass door accessing the balcony, which had previously been the only light entrance to the living room and kitchen.
The hollowed-out elements of the service area were incorporated into the bedroom space to create a private internal balcony between the dismembered bathroom program. From the internal view of the bedroom, these rooms were unified in a plywood and ash panel that is accessed through pivoting doors and exchanges air through high tilting windows.
The program was mostly divided by low joinery cores, which do not touch the ceiling, and only three small walls were built. The one located in the common areas organizes the bookshelves, television and small cupboards into the living room, while the end facing the kitchen encloses the fridge. At the back is the office, from where the living room can be seen through a square cut-out that spans the entire depth of the core.