Paulista Apartament | COTA760 Arquitetura

Located in the Paraíso neighborhood in São Paulo, the Apartamento Paulista underwent a renovation aimed at updating the spaces and improving their spatial dynamics without losing the original characteristics of the property. With 110 m², the project by COTA760 Arquitetura, led by architects Luis Rossi, Nicolas Le Roux and Paula Lemos, is based on a careful reading of the resident’s lifestyle to reorganize the layout and expand the living areas.

The intervention focused mainly on the kitchen and laundry areas. Previously fragmented spaces, such as storage rooms, pantry and built-in cabinets, were integrated through the removal of partition walls, creating a larger, brighter social area connected to the kitchen. Gabriel, who lives in the apartment with his dog Julio, uses the home both for remote work and to host friends and family. This way of living guided key design decisions. The creation of a suite was considered but ultimately dismissed in order to preserve the generous proportions of the bedrooms and maintain original elements such as the existing cabinetry.

According to the architects, the main challenge was balancing transformation and preservation: “We studied several ways to create a suite, but all of them compromised either the bedrooms or the living room. By understanding how the apartment would be used, we realized that focusing the changes on the kitchen would improve the overall dynamics without losing the spaciousness of the original layout.” As a result, the former service bathroom was converted into a second full bathroom, capable of functioning both as a guest bathroom and powder room. The project establishes visual continuity with the social areas through elements such as the long concrete bench that runs along the façade, unifying the spaces.

The material and color choices respond both to the resident’s lifestyle and to references associated with the sea, expressed through shades of blue and green applied to finishes, paint and furniture. This palette is combined with a material approach that balances more textured surfaces with minimal design solutions.

Key materials include the preserved original wooden flooring, the polished concrete in the kitchen, the exposed concrete structure and the green finishes in the service area. In the bedrooms, neutral walls and the restoration of existing wardrobes reinforce a sense of continuity and rest, maintaining a connection with the apartment’s history.

The renovation also incorporates memories of the apartment itself. Part of the tiles removed during construction was reused to create an artwork in the dining area, designed by the studio and inspired by the movement of waves. Objects and pieces brought back from the resident’s travels, such as textiles from Mexico, complete the interior and reinforce the identity of the space.