ASPEN Apartment in Porto Alegre by AMBIDESTRO

This apartment is situated in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, but the authors of the project, the architects from the AMBIDESTRO studio, say that it could be imagined anywhere in the world. The apartment was designed for the clients who wanted a living space inspired by the world’s great capitals. The task was at the same time to preserve the identity of the clients, create an integrated space, and to bring a warm, timeless, and masculine ambiance.

The refurbishment was radical. In the social area, the walls between the kitchen and social area were dismantled, leaving only the structure of beams. The old service area was transformed into the kitchen, fully integrated with the social area now. The kitchen was turned into the dining room, and the balcony was integrated with the social area. In the intimate area, three dormitories with a suite were transformed into two suites. As the result, the fragmented and compartmentalized apartment was turned into a fully integrated space with large and bright rooms.

As a request of the clients, the apartment is designed in dark tones. ‘We created a uniform composition of black, gray and wood,’ say the designers, ‘that follows throughout the house, creating a true dictionary of materials in the apartment. There are no hierarchies, all environments of the house talk and have the same visual and conceptual value.’

The interesting feature of the project is the use of the noble and rare Brazilian Pau Ferro wood to cover focal points of the apartment. This wood, also known as Brazilian ironwood, is a work of art itself. All panels of Pau Ferro were meticulously paginated with their drawings to create a linear and elegant rhythm in space.