Moveable wooden screens and lush vegetation create secluded urban retreat in São Paulo’s leafy Jardim Paulistano

SÃO PAULO – The Jacob Saliba Residence, completed in 2024 in Jardim Paulistano, in São Paulo’s west zone, exemplifies contemporary residential architecture by combining functionality with integration into urban greenery. Designed by WF Arquitetos for a couple of entrepreneurs, the three-storey house stands out for the contrast between the transparent ground floor and the upper volume wrapped in vertical Arkos slats.

The moveable brise-soleil system that clads the upper floor serves a dual function: it modulates sunlight entry and preserves the residents’ privacy, whilst conferring visual identity to the project. On the ground floor, large openings connect the social area to the garden, where a pitanga tree preserved from the original plot occupies the centre of the garage.

Living room

The distribution of spaces privileges the owners’ social lifestyle. The ground floor houses an integrated kitchen and living room, which expand towards the garden. The first floor concentrates two en-suite bedrooms. The rooftop offers a multipurpose room and deck with views over the treetops of the leafy neighbourhood.

Dinning room

Accessibility issues guided the project from the outset. Wide passages and a lift ensure circulation between floors. The choice of materials prioritised durability: porcelain tiles, Dekton worktops and timber in panels and furniture dialogue with natural stone in external walls and paving.

The landscaping, designed by Rodrigo Oliveira, completes the composition with tropical vegetation that creates a visual barrier and reinforces the sense of privacy. The project involved architects Beatriz Fujinaka, Stephanie Wolff, Andressa Sato, Caroline Zaleski, Raquel Sales and Rebeca Petravicius.

Office

Bedroom

Photographs: Fran Parente.