- Project: Jaragua Residence
- Architect: Fernanda Marques Arquitetura
- Location: Brazil, Santana de Parnaíba, São Paulo
- Year: 2020
- Area: 1200 m2
- Photography: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
A Dialogue Between Light, Continuity, and Contemporary Elegance
Perched on a hillside in Alphaville, a residential enclave on the outskirts of São Paulo, Jaraguá Residence by Fernanda Marques Arquitetura exemplifies the refined balance between structural precision and sensorial experience. Designed for a young family, this 1,200 m² residence translates their desire for openness, warmth, and timeless sophistication into an architecture defined by continuity — spatial, visual, and emotional.
“A house where the sense of breadth is manifested continuously and permanently,” explains Fernanda Marques, who envisioned both the architecture and interiors as an integrated whole.
The result is a three-level contemporary dwelling that embraces natural light and panoramic views, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor living.
Architectural Concept: Continuity Without Boundaries
From the outset, Marques pursued the idea of unbroken spatial flow — a sequence of environments that unfold naturally without partitions. Transparency and proportion replace barriers, allowing light and sightlines to guide movement throughout the home.
The composition is organized vertically into three functional layers:
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Ground Floor: social and leisure spaces open to the pool and terrace.
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Upper Floor: intimate family quarters with panoramic balconies.
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Lower Floor: technical and service spaces, including garage and workshop.
Large terraces crown the residence, extending living spaces outward and framing views of the surrounding landscape. Marques’ design blurs thresholds between built form and environment, producing a sensation of perpetual openness.
Ground Floor — Openness and Leisure
The ground level is the social heart of the home — a continuous expanse that unites the living room, dining room, fireplace lounge, and media area. Floor-to-ceiling glazing dissolves the barrier between inside and out, leading toward a deep-blue infinity pool and garden terrace.
Supporting areas — such as the kitchen, study, breakfast area, cloakroom, and guest facilities — are subtly integrated into the plan, ensuring functionality without compromising openness. The terrace serves as an invitation to leisure, where family gatherings flow seamlessly from interior comfort to open-air relaxation.
Upper Floor — Privacy With a View
The upper floor houses the family’s private domain: three generous suites, each with a balcony overlooking the lush hillside, and a family room serving as an intimate retreat. The master suite enjoys uninterrupted views, balancing exposure with the privacy of elevated living.
The design reinforces continuity in section as well — double-height voids, full-length glazing, and horizontal circulation lines visually connect all levels, maintaining the same architectural rhythm that defines the entire residence.
Interior Design — Art, Material, and Atmosphere
Inside, Fernanda Marques’s signature sensibility takes center stage: an atmosphere of quiet luxury achieved through form, texture, and proportion rather than ornament.
“I tried to create a sort of internal topography, with the furniture laid out continuously, with small variations in height, almost at floor level,” she notes.
Marques curated a selection of custom-designed pieces — including her own stainless-steel stools — alongside international furniture and art. The result is a dialogue between Brazilian craftsmanship and global design culture, expressed in spaces that feel both relaxed and refined.
Material Palette and Light
Natural light is the project’s most expressive element. Marques carefully orchestrated illumination through aluminum brise-soleils, clerestory openings, and diffused skylights, ensuring soft brightness rather than direct glare.
The material palette enhances this light-driven serenity:
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Floors: pale limestone, connecting interior and exterior.
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Walls: white acrylic paint that amplifies daylight.
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Ceilings and panels: walnut veneer bringing warmth and contrast.
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Pool: deep indigo blue tiles acting as the sole accent color, reflecting the sky without disrupting the neutral harmony.
“Natural daylight is present everywhere but never directly,” Marques explains. “There are specific lighting situations, derived from the construction’s shape and spatial solutions.”
This interplay of light and material produces an architecture that feels alive — shifting gently with the passing of the day.
Structure, Geometry, and Scale
The metallic structure and thin slabs enable horizontal elegance, while high ceilings lend grandeur and airiness. Particularly in the living room, the double-height ceiling amplifies the sense of space, allowing daylight to sculpt the interior volumes dynamically.
Each architectural gesture reinforces fluidity and balance: geometry is never rigid but carefully modulated, resulting in a design that is precise yet poetic.
The Essence of Brazilian Contemporary Living
The Jaraguá Residence encapsulates Fernanda Marques’s architectural ethos — clarity, continuity, and connection to nature. It’s a home where design enhances everyday life through openness and proportion rather than extravagance.
Here, light replaces ornament, and space itself becomes luxury.
