House AC, The design of Casa AC consists of a pavilion attached to an existing house located in the interior of the state of São Paulo. This new space houses a living area with a kitchen, a large dining table, and an integrated living room, as well as a guest suite on the ground floor — designed especially for visitors with reduced mobility — and a changing room supporting the existing pool on the property.
© Carolina Lacaz
The layout, materiality, and construction systems were defined based on two fundamental premises: to promote the best possible dialogue with the existing architecture and garden, and to ensure a fast, clean, and organized construction process. To achieve this, the choice was primarily for prefabricated elements, assembled on-site, which allowed all stages — from foundations to finishes — to be completed in just four months.
© Carolina Lacaz
The new volume, positioned parallel to the pool, consists of two rectangular blocks covered by a single roof, which approaches the original house without touching it. The closer block acts as a natural extension of the residence’s social area, while the second, further away and rotated in relation to the first, seeks privacy for the suite and amplifies the view from the main house.
© Carolina Lacaz
The structure, formed by metal columns and beams on concrete foundations, supports a light roof made of wooden beams that extend toward the pool. This composition creates a generous eave with glass and metal mesh closure, which protects the facade and filters the entry of natural light into the interior space.
© Carolina Lacaz
The external cladding in cement-finished wooden panels in a lead color establishes a subtle dialogue with the black-painted wooden panels of the original construction, promoting visual unity between the new and the preexisting. The light beige exposed aggregate floor, which extends from the interior of the pavilion to the entire area around the pool, combined with the wide sliding glass doors, favors a fluid integration between the internal and external environments — bringing the informality and lightness of the leisure area into the new volume.
Project Info
Architects: Kiko Castello Branco Arquitetura + Lucas Cunha
Country: Brazil, Porto Feliz
Area: 209 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Carolina Lacaz
Manufacturers Florense, Alwitra, Granitorre, InvestWood – Viroc: Florense
Category: Houses
General Construction: Construtora M Gomes
Engineering & Consulting > Structural: WXYZ Engenharia
Engineering & Consulting > Services: Arquimedes Costa Projeto Estrutural
Engineering & Consulting > Others: AF Projetos
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial