Casa Curupaiti in São Paolo was a project six years in the making, but for the family that lives there—Marcos De Oliveira, Ruth Kuriyama, their son, their mothers, and their beloved Border Collies—it was well worth the wait. Architecture firm Terra e Tuma renovated and expanded the 1940s residence in two phases to create an adaptable, 1,890-square-foot home that serves multiple generations.

“Living here is the very best experience,” says Marcos. “Everybody loves this house.”

Before: Backyard

After: Backyard

It’s a home that felt like it was meant to be. Back in 2014, Marcos stumbled upon it as the 80-year-old owner was sitting outside on the lawn, trying to make a sale. “I went inside and knew it was perfect for us,” says Marcos, who rushed home to Ruth—only to learn that she had also scouted an ideal home that day. “We were arguing, ‘No, I found the best house, I found the best house.’”

To settle the score, Ruth drove him out to show him her great find, and they discovered that they’d been talking about the same house.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

Though they were thrilled with their find, the couple—she’s a chemist who loves to sew, and he’s in the aviation industry as well as an avid woodworker—knew that they would need to adapt the home to suit their needs. “We like old houses,” says Ruth. “But at the same time, we wanted to have a big space that was modern to accommodate our hobbies.”

The first phase of work entailed a restoration and renovation of the existing bungalow, which had great bones but a cramped, compartmentalized layout. The team at Terra e Tuma preserved as much of the building’s architectural heritage as possible, but worked to open up the formerly claustrophobic space, ripping out the ceiling to give the brick-lined living areas some breathing room and revealing the structural beams of the roof.

Before: Kitchen

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After: Kitchen

While the main house holds the living room, dining room, and kitchen as well as bedrooms for the couple’s mothers and their little one, the expansion provides a private suite for Marcos and Ruth. There’s also a glass-wrapped sewing studio for Ruth and an open-air workshop for Marcos, though the latter has evolved into a general hangout space for the whole family. “We wanted to make a garage for Marcos, but it just became the main room,” laughs architect Fernanda Sakano.

Before: Side Walkway

After: Side Walkway

The distinction between indoors and out falls away at Casa Curupaiti: The kitchen and dining areas open up to the garden, where vines have begun creeping up the cement brick walls to drape over the seating area. “It’s important to us to sync the house and garden together,” says Sakano.

After: The Addition

More Before & After:

A Country Home Blossoms in the Ruins of an Old Stone Barn

A Convoluted Midcentury in Texas Gets a Family-Friendly Overhaul

Project Credits:

Architects: Terra e Tuma Arquitetos Associados / @terraetuma Builder/General Contractor: Brefer Construções e Soluções 
Structural Engineer: Ita Construtora / @itaconstrutora
Civil Engineer: Sulymara Kussano
Landscape Design Company: Gabriella Ornaghi e Bianca Vasone Arquitetura da Paisagem / @gabriella_ornaghi_arq_paisagem  