Project Name: FD Residence

Location: São Paulo, Brazil

Design Team: Padovani Arquitetos

Area: 700 m²

Completion Year: 2024

Photography: Evelyn Müller

Feature：

Project - Nestled in the undulating landscape of São Paulo’s countryside, the FD Residence by Padovani Arquitetos emerges as a sanctuary of modern tranquility, designed to host gatherings while embracing its natural surroundings. Completed in 2024, this 700-square-meter vacation home redefines spatial fluidity through an innovative steel structure and an L-shaped layout, carving out sweeping vistas of the adjacent lake and verdant terrain. Situated discreetly below street level, the residence reveals itself in staggered volumes—a half-level base and a floating upper block—that blend bold geometry with organic subtlety.

The facade, a striking interplay of rhythmic wood slats, textured concrete, and matte-black accents, dissolves the boundary between architecture and landscape. This meticulous material palette mirrors the earthy tones of the setting, while expansive, slender eaves cascade around the upper floor, serving as both a sculptural crown and a functional shield against São Paulo’s climate. Below, the steel framework enables daring cantilevers and vast spans, fostering an unbroken dialogue between indoors and out.

Inside, a double-height social area anchored by light-toned surfaces amplifies the sense of openness, contrasting elegantly with the exterior’s darker hues. Floor-to-ceiling glass dissolves walls, guiding the eye from the minimalist living spaces to a sun-drenched pool deck and the distant horizon. A lowered ceiling in the outdoor lounge creates intimacy, balancing the home’s grand scale. Meanwhile, the strategic positioning of courtyards and staircases choreographs movement, ensuring each transition offers a framed view or a moment of repose.

Landscaping by Daniel Nunes threads native flora through the architecture, enhancing the residence’s symbiotic relationship with its environment. From the reflective pool to the timber-clad eaves, every element is a testament to Padovani Arquitetos’ mastery of light, materiality, and immersive spatial storytelling—a retreat where modernity and nature breathe as one.

Design Team - Founded in 2008 by architect Lucas Padovani, São Paulo-based Padovani Arquitetos has carved a distinct niche in contemporary Brazilian architecture through designs that harmonize simplicity, technical innovation, and a profound dialogue with nature. The studio’s multidisciplinary team, led by Creative Director Lucas Padovani and Administrative Director Bruno Padovani, integrates architecture, interior design, and strategic planning to craft spaces that transcend functionality, embodying what the firm describes as “conceptual poetics” tailored to client needs and environmental context.

Rooted in the ethos of tropicality, Padovani’s work balances elegance with bioclimatic strategies, utilizing materials and forms that respond to Brazil’s lush landscapes. Projects like the award-winning Valência House and HF House exemplify their mastery of spatial fluidity, where steel frameworks, expansive glass apertures, and organic materiality dissolve boundaries between indoors and outdoors. The firm’s process—marked by rigorous technical investigation and collaborative iteration—ensures each detail aligns with both aesthetic vision and experiential quality, a philosophy reinforced by Architecture Manager Raquel Azevedo and Creative Coordinator Fabio Wetten.

In 2024, Padovani’s global acclaim surged with accolades including the Architizer A+ Award for Best Residential Firm and multiple wins at the International Property Awards, LOOP Design Awards, and DNA Paris Design Awards. These honors underscore their ability to merge residential intimacy with bold structural innovation, as seen in projects celebrated for their contextual sensitivity and material sophistication.

With offices in Campinas and São Paulo, Padovani Arquitetos continues to redefine Brazilian modernism, proving that architecture can be both a technical discipline and a poetic act—one that invites inhabitants to engage deeply with their environment.