Almost 30 years after first falling in love the coastline of Paraty, Brazil, Paulo and Teresa Endo finally built the home they had always dreamed of. Set on Costa Verde, halfway between Rio and São Paulo, Paraty is a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated for its cobblestone streets, emerald mountains, and crystalline bays. For Paulo, a psychoanalyst, researcher, and associate professor at the University of São Paulo, the town’s true appeal lies in its local caiçara, quilombola, and Indigenous communities.

“We started visiting Paraty back in the 1980s,” Paulo recalls. “The caiçara families were still farming, fishing, and living much like their ancestors had. We became friends with some of them, and those connections remain strong to this day.”

Over time, the Endos also witnessed the challenges these communities faced as developers and wealthy outsiders moved in, eager to profit from the area’s natural beauty. “Traditional communities have dealt with harassment and threats for generations,” Paulo says. “And those struggles are still very real today.”

That perspective shaped the vision for Passarinha, the family’s three-bedroom, three-bath home created in collaboration with Arquipélago Arquitetos, the São Paulo–based practice led by Luis Tavares and Marinho Velloso.

From the street, the residence is grounded by large-format red bricks that lend it a solid, almost industrial presence. Step inside, and the house tells a different story: skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows flood the interiors with light, while a lush indoor garden rises under a central opening in the roof. “The garden was my daughter’s idea,” Paulo says. “We gave up a lot of floor space, but it was completely worth it. It makes the house feel alive.” Sunlight shifts across the sand-colored walls throughout the day, giving each room its own rhythm.

Upper and lower decks extend the living areas and frame views of the surrounding Atlantic Forest. “It’s not a house where people disappear into rooms,” explains Paulo. “The decks encourage interaction, but they also give everyone a place to pause, to reflect, or just watch the birds.”

At the heart of the home, a bold yellow staircase spirals gently between floors. “Descending it feels like a mini tour,” Paulo says. “You catch glimpses of the indoor garden, the artworks, the ceramics, and the views outside. It connects the upstairs and downstairs, but it also connects us to the whole experience of the house.”

The architecture subtly nods to three museal residences the Endos admire: Pablo Neruda’s La Chascona, Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, and São Paulo’s Lasar Segall Museum. “We love how they create airy, sunny spaces where the inside and outside mingle,” explains Paulo. Arquipélago Arquitetos took inspiration from those precedents, along with touches drawn from Vilanova Artigas, Lina Bo Bardi, and Tomie Ohtake, to make something entirely new.

Every material and object in the home carries intention. The sand-colored walls soften the weight of the brick exterior; concrete slabs and carefully positioned windows balance openness, shade, and thermal comfort. Inside, nearly everything was commissioned from local artisans: Guarani baskets, Pataxó utensils, caiçara ceramics, and benches carved by quilombola craftsmen. Paintings by Paraty-based artists hang alongside papier-mâché portraits of the Endo children by Lucio Cruz. “Every piece tells a story,” Paulo says.

The home flexes with daily life. Though the family included a music studio for their son, he often prefers to practice in the shared living spaces where sunlight, birdsong, and breezes filter in. “The house doesn’t separate us,” Paulo says. “It pulls us together, through meals, conversations, or music.”

It’s also deeply connected to the changing seasons. Autumn brings soft pastel light; spring fills the garden with hummingbirds and new blooms; summer rains drench the plants and scent the air with water lilies. “It teaches us to pay attention, to live fully,” Paulo says.

Even the home’s name reflects the family’s philosophy. It was dubbed Passarinha, or “little bird,” during a politically turbulent moment in Brazil. Inspired by poet Mario Quintana’s verse “Eles passarão, eu passarinho” (“They will pass, I will fly like a bird”), the name symbolizes resilience and lightness. “It reminds us that challenges are fleeting,” Paulo explains. “And that life is best lived in connection with family, with nature, with culture.”

Looking back, Paulo feels the residence has expanded his life in unexpected ways. “São Paulo gave us so much,” he says. “But Paraty added time, space, and the understanding of Brazil’s depth and contradictions. Life feels richer here.”

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Arquipélago Arquitetos / @arquipelago.co

Builder: Jostontec

Structural Engineer: Victor Macedo