Sumaré House was completed in 2007, a two-storey São Paulo house with a studio and a long étagère to showcase the owner’s work, ranging from art and design to vintage objects.

The architect, Isay Weinfeld included a swimming pool and a space for ballet routines into the house, along with ample entertainment areas and two bedrooms.

The plot is large, 700m² but, due to height restriction laws, the architect had to create an underground area that houses the caretaker's quarters and the atelier.

On the middle floor, a few steps above street level, there are the sitting and dining rooms, the kitchen and a larger lawn.

On the upper floor, there are the bedrooms – the designer and a guest's – and the facilities for ballet and swimming.

‘As this is a space meant for private use only, she liked it when we suggested having it by her bedroom, enclosed only by a screen of pre-cast concrete blocks, through which she would be able to see the city skyline,’ explains Weinfeld.

‘On the uppermost level, there is a wood-decked outdoor entertaining area, perfect for a get together, by day or by night.’