passarelli arquitetos perches monumental swimming pool beside casa da baro

a Sculptural Home in Rural São Paulo

Casa da Baro is a residential project designed by Brazilian studio Passarelli Arquitetos in the interior of São Paulo, located within a community known for weekend retreats. Built along the natural contours of the site, the house spreads horizontally across the plot, its plan gently fanning out like a set of wings. This gesture was first sketched by Marcelo Passarelli during a flight shortly after his initial meeting with the clients, setting the tone for a design based on intuitive clarity and structural confidence.

The home unfolds in a series of deliberate contrasts with straight lines and softened curves, exposed openness and protected retreat. Horizontal forms dominate the composition, punctuated by two moments: a sculptural internal staircase that floats downward in a loose, extended spiral, and a circular swimming pool that overlooks the sloping terrain below. The pool’s shape emerges in part as a response to site conditions, with a subtle overflow that creates a shallow wet edge, lined with travertine that matches the surrounding flooring.

images © Fernando Guerra

casa da baro overlooks a brazilian garden

Throughout the project, the team at Passarelli Arquitetos uses material and form to frame a balance between openness to nature and a sense of seclusion. Wide eaves and pergolas shade the interior from direct sun while preserving sightlines to the landscape. The house is organized around a gallery at the upper level, which opens onto a generous social space before stepping down to more private quarters.

Circulation through the home encourages a gradual descent, guided by the wide central staircase that reveals varying perspectives of the structure and its garden. The spatial sequence feels composed yet informal, offering moments of pause and discovery rather than abrupt transitions.

Casa da Baro is located in a residential community in the interior of São Paulo

Passarelli Arquitetos curates a wide-open shelter

A restrained material palette strengthens the project’s architectural coherence. Travertine stone unifies both interior and exterior surfaces, creating a subtle continuity between living areas, terraces, and the pool. The living room is defined by its double-height ceiling lined in warm wood, and by the soft daylight that filters through openings calibrated to the sun’s path.

Furniture selections reflect a curated sensibility, with pieces by Lina Bo Bardi and the Campana Brothers anchoring the space alongside a private art collection that includes works by Osgemeos and Daniel Senise. These choices add texture and context without overwhelming the architecture’s clean gestures.

Marcelo Passarelli describes Casa da Baro as a project that arrived at the right moment in his professional trajectory. Its calm resolution, careful massing, and attention to site conditions reflect a maturity in practice that allows expressive features to emerge naturally from structural and environmental considerations. The home feels grounded without being rigid, and feels expressive without exaggeration.

the house follows the natural topography with a horizontal, winged layout