House Toca by ARKITITO Arquitetura — A Layered Home of Art, Music, and Sustainable Living

Located in the vibrant neighborhood of Vila Madalena, São Paulo, House Toca by ARKITITO Arquitetura is a bold architectural experiment that blurs the boundaries between domestic life, art, and music. Designed by architect Tito Ficarelli and visual artist Luiza Gottschalk, the residence reflects their multifaceted creative lifestyle — a fusion of family life, artistic production, and sustainable design principles. This is the third home the couple has designed together, each one representing a new chapter in their shared journey of creation and coexistence.

An Architecture Born from Life and Creativity

Unlike traditional homes, House Toca defies conventional layouts and hierarchies. Its design evolves from a diverse, hybrid program that accommodates living quarters, an art studio, a music studio, and generous gathering spaces. Each area expresses the rhythm of its inhabitants — a couple who see architecture not only as shelter but as a medium for interaction, experimentation, and emotional resonance.

The house’s geometry is strikingly expressive, composed of pure forms — triangles, circles, and squares — that interlock to produce dynamic spaces filled with light and texture. Raised delicately on slender concrete pillars, the building’s sculptural mass appears both grounded and ethereal, exuding an elegance that balances structure with spontaneity.

A Layered Structure for Functional Harmony

House Toca unfolds vertically in three distinct structural layers, each made from a different material and serving a specific environmental and social function:

1. The Base Layer – Concrete FoundationThe lowest level houses three bedrooms that open onto a tranquil rear garden. This positioning ensures privacy and acoustic insulation while maintaining natural thermal balance. The garden’s lushness offers serenity, creating a refuge from the city’s energetic surroundings.
2. The Middle Layer – Steel Grid StructureAbove the concrete base rises a robust steel framework that supports the main floor. This grid-like skeleton organizes the building’s geometry and enables open-plan configurations that encourage fluidity between living and creative spaces.
3. The Upper Layer – Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)The topmost structure — containing the living room, kitchen, and studios — is crafted from CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber). Chosen for its sustainability, structural integrity, and warm aesthetic, the timber layer enhances acoustic comfort and infuses the interiors with natural texture and light.

The triangular roof shell, covered with shingle tiles, unifies the entire composition. Its form defines the character of the house, while glass façades maintain transparency between interior and exterior, allowing nature and daylight to flow freely through every space.

Sustainability Through Simplicity and Precision

Sustainability is not treated as an afterthought but as an architectural principle. Prefabricated materials — concrete panels, steel grids, and CLT modules — minimize waste, reduce construction time, and ensure a cleaner building process. These choices also improve thermal and acoustic efficiency, reducing energy consumption and maintaining a stable indoor climate without the need for artificial cooling.

The Brazilian stone flooring forms a continuous, tactile surface that connects all the main spaces, while the varying ceiling heights create a rhythmic sequence of openness and intimacy. This natural ventilation strategy transforms the home into a living veranda — open to the surrounding gardens and bathed in sunlight throughout the day.

A Home That Reflects Art and Family

House Toca is more than a residence; it’s a portrait of its creators. Every element — from the soft glow of the timber panels to the bold angles of the structure — tells a story of shared imagination. Designed for a family of five, including the architects’ two young daughters and an elderly relative, the house achieves a rare balance between accessibility, intimacy, and creative freedom.

By merging domestic life with artistic practice, ARKITITO Arquitetura has crafted a home that celebrates both living and making — a true embodiment of architecture as an evolving act of creation.

All the photographs are works of Fran Parente