REN Apartment

From the highest floor of a building in Nova Lima, in the heart of Minas Gerais, a stunning view unfolds. On one side, the winding mountain region, with its abundant nature.

On the other, the city’s urban sprawl extending to the horizon.

It is in the midst of this landscape, full of natural and artificial elevations, that this penthouse aims to be an oasis for a young couple and their two children.

The apartment’s program is distributed over its two floors. Access is via the lower floor, where a large tapestry by Norberto Nicola welcomes visitors arriving through the social hall.

To the right, an extensive living and dining room integrates with the landscape in the background, framed by long glass windows that run the entire length of the space and compose the scenery. A stone bench follows the entire perimeter of the window.

On the other side, to the left, a large veranda opens up to an impressive scale, with double height ceilings. Wooden brise-soleils, designed to protect from the solar incidence on the large glass panels of the windows, envelop and compose the space. A swimming pool and a gourmet area extend across the veranda, with the views opening out to the city and the nature beyond.

The same brise-soleils that envelop the double height ceiling extend to become the lining that connects all social areas. Gray lacquer panels were used to mimic doors, cabinets and the elevator, creating fluidity and visual consistency throughout the apartment. Also located on this floor are an office, a wine cellar and the kitchen, which connects with the dining room and the gourmet area.

The staircase, one of the central elements of the project, delicately connects the lower floor to the upper floor, covered by wooden brise-soleils on the ceiling and walls. As the light passes through the gaps, rhythmic shadows dance throughout the day, constantly moving.

The intimate areas are located on the upper floor, with the master suite, children’s suites, a playroom and a home theater. A service area is directly connected to the lower floor by a staircase that lands on the kitchen circulation.

The furniture chosen to compose the project is full of Brazilian and Italian references, with names such as Jorge Zalszupin, Claudia Moreira Salles and Roberto Lazzeroni, as well as artwork by Vik Muniz, Daniel Senise and Laura Vinci.