Esquina Building Pinheiros SP, São Paulo apartments property images, Brazilian housing architecture

Esquina Building in São Paulo housing

2 September 2025

Architects: UNA barbara e valentim

Location: Pinheiros and Francisco Leitão streets, São Paulo, Brasil

Photos: Joana França

Esquina Building, SP, Brasil

Architects UNA barbara e valentim reconfigured Esquina Building the urban corner into a mixed-use building in Pinheiros.

Located at the intersection of Pinheiros and Francisco Leitão streets, in São Paulo, the Esquina Building – named after the Portuguese word for “corner” – offers an architectural reflection on occupying an urban corner of an important neighborhood of the city as a place of confluence and permanence.

Designed by UNA barbara e valentim for the developer Nortis, the project draws on the surrounding heterogeneity and the density of Pinheiros neighborhood to develop an architecture that combines mixed use, typological diversity, and more open and straightforward urban relationships.

The complex is defined by two blocks of different heights: facing Pinheiros Street, the commercial one includes retail venues on the ground floor and five floors of offices in modular units. The residential tower, also accessible from Francisco Leitão Street, includes three distinct types of 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, in addition to four floors dedicated to studio apartments.

The sixth floor connects the two blocks and houses shared amenities, such as a gym, fitness areas, saunas, and a swimming pool – the latter being located atop the commercial block and accessible via a bridge, offering a pleasant view of the Jardins neighborhood.

The architecture explores the use of exposed concrete and window frames, with horizontal slab markings and continuous balconies that expand the living area and reinforce the idea of transition between interior and exterior.

The facades bring rhythm and movement through the alternation of solids and voids, in addition to the use of vegetation as an architectural element that contributes to shading, human scale, and integration with the neighborhood. The presence of greenery extends to terraces and rooftops, revealing a concern with porosity and the continuity of the landscape on a vertical scale.

The use of vegetation contributes to shading and the relationship between uses, enhancing open areas and integrating with the neighborhood. The landscaping design by Soma Arquitetos begins with the sidewalk layout and extends to terraces and rooftops, revealing a concern with porosity and the continuity of the vertical landscape.

The architecture of Esquina Building sought to highlight the virtues of mixed use by designing a commercial area on the ground floor and a small building facing Pinheiros street, occupied by office spaces. It avoids the use of walls that isolate buildings from public areas, enhancing sidewalks and pointing to a design mindset attentive to the role of architecture in fostering a more plural and generous urbanity.

About UNA barbara e valentim
Led by Fernanda Barbara and Fabio Valentim, partners since 1996, UNA barbara e valentim has built a career distinguished by the convergence of academic research, architectural exploration, and award-winning projects. With a portfolio that includes residential buildings, public facilities, and both urban and vacation homes, the firm remains dedicated to spatial quality, construction innovation, and creating a positive impact on urban and natural environments.

Esquina Building in São Paulo, Brasil housing – Building Information

Architects: Conrado Ceravolo – https://unabv.com.br/en/

Location: São Paulo – SP, Brasil
Architecture: UNA barbara e valentim: Fábio Valentim, Fernanda Barbara
Collaborators: Camila Martins, Aline Ferreira, Marina Julia Herklotz, Fernando Bonini, Rodrigo Carvalho, Pedro Ribeiro, Clóvis Cunha, Rogério Macedo
Year: 2025

Real Estate Developer and Contractor: Nortis Inc
Acoustics: Echo Acústica
Air Conditioning: WS Ar Condicionado
Fenestration: Paschoal & Stefanini Consultores
Visual Communication: Nitsche Arquitetos
Creative Agency: ElephantSkin
Interior Design: Nildo José
Electrical Engineering: Projetar
Concrete Structure: Ávila engenharia de Estruturas
Steel Structure: Beltec Engenharia
Foundation Engineering: Consutrix
Plumbing / Hydraulic Engineering: Projetar
Lighting Design: Studio IX
Landscape Architecture: Soma Arquitetos