We were asked by clients to develop a project that divided the family's property into sectors, so that the house from the 60s would continue in part as a residence, but also house a commercial space.

The idea was to create, in the client's words, “A house of Yoga, of therapies, a place for an urban retreat, a place of welcome, of exchanges”.

As a first move, taking the work out of the house, we divided the façade of the original house in two, each with its own access and individual design, distinguishing and completely separating the two uses.

Due to the conformation of the house, part of the façade, the basement and the backyard were the possible spaces for commerce and services, but we would have to deal with the limited area available, access via an extensive side corridor and limited ceiling height. In addition, the division of the house into two distinct programs still generated the challenge of maintaining large spaces, with privacy and prioritizing natural lighting and ventilation.

In the commercial part, we used the backyard to create a wooden pavilion that expanded the usable space by 100m².

The conformation of this new building was also essential to create a large yoga room that was generous both in space and in openings. Characteristics that we would not be able to achieve in the existing building.

We handle the openings, both commercial and residential in order to ensure privacy. In the commercial, the new pavilion received movable bamboo frames that allow controlling the visibility to the windows of the residential space. When the bamboo frames are closed, a linear zenith opening brings natural light into the yoga room.

The search for an urban retreat atmosphere guided the project in defining its materiality. The use of ceramic tiles, wood and bamboo, together with the landscaping project, made this space an oasis amidst the chaos of the city.

To mark the visitor's entrance to Casa Sagarana, we designed a sensory corridor, which in its first part is completely blue, a kind of portal, a passageway to disconnect from the outside world. From there, a smooth ramp, covered by ceramic tiles, resolves the unevenness between the floors and invites those who enter for a walk among the plants on the wall, enjoying a light filtered by the bamboo mats installed in the pergola.

In the residential, bib below the windows will filter what is seen with plant growth. A small patio was designed to increase the amount of light and ventilation entering the house, and on the front façade, we increased the opening with a large translucent glass door.