Developed over three years for a very special family, longtime friends of the architects Maíra Rossi and Karen Felix, at the head of the Archi.lab office, the project had the challenge of bringing comfort and a feeling of warmth to the property.
Project Name: Apartment in Apucarana – Paraná
Studio Name: Archi.lab office
The couple with two children lived in a house for many years, and decided to look for an apartment to get more security and a better location for the family. The property, acquired in the plan, has 275m² and is located in Apucarana – Paraná. Modifications and customizations were made during the construction work on the building, and carried out by the construction company.
In relation to the original floor plan of the apartment, the walls that divide the dining room from the kitchen were altered, creating a support for a pantry and a cupboard, and a visual barrier from the functional area of the kitchen to the living room. The cooktop’s position was relocated to the island, to highlight the use of the customer, who likes to cook for the family.
The spaces were harmoniously integrated, through the use of materials that complement and communicate within the same palette. The idea was to enhance the natural light of the apartment and the outdoor space that exploits the full potential of the rooftp with a privileged view of the horizon.
On the lower floor, the apartment is divided between the intimate area and the social area consisting of the living, dining and kitchen, which function actively in the day-to-day of the family that loves to cook and receive. Following the flow of the entrance hall, a sideboard carved from a 4.00 m long porcelain slab guides visitors to the staircase that connects the rooms to the upper floor, where the gourmet space and the terrace are located.
The staircase was designed in a metallic structure with porcelain coating and a guardrail that mixes natural Cumaru wood and glass. Hollow wooden elements are repeated vertically, reinforcing the integration of the two floors. The idea was to use materials that were harmonious and in the same language as the other materials used both in the internal area and on the terrace.
The highlight is the large format ceramic coverings (porcelain tiles), used to cover the volume of the barbecue and the shelf that accompanies the entire width of the gourmet space. In addition to all the furniture that was purchased exclusively for the couple’s new property.
