São Paulo isn’t a city known for its urban beauty, but mainly for the dynamic and rich variety of activities and vibrant styles spread throughout. Therefore, to witness the beautiful façade of Workshop House, in the middle of an inconspicuous street in the neighbourhood of Pinheiros, is a welcome change of pace. PAX.ARQ were commissioned to build a smart and elegant solution for three diverging requirements. What better than minimalism to guide the way?

The alluring outer shell is a mix of precast concrete and louvred natural aluminium, infused with a variety of geometric forms as well as a dominant visual bait as a slight fractal feature. An impressive exercise of simplicity with impressive range in style; as each level is explicit to the observing eye from outside. On the base floor stands a comprehensive automobile workshop; on the first floor is a flexible office for training and business meetings; and finally on the top floor is the residential area.

A few solutions were fitted seamlessly — the all-important acoustic barrier from the workshop to the social area for starters. The playful variations in angles help gather rainwater for recycling purposes, and finally, the patio extending the same motif of sparseness and tranquillity.

Making sense of it all, are two fundamental elements: the monochromatic identity of the eclectic dwelling and the head master behind it all, the sole inhabitant that manipulates each space to make the most of it. A textbook example of industrial sensibility and stark minimalism working together in the grand scheme just as much as in the finer details.

Photography by Bruno Candiotto.