There’s a Tropical Garden at the Heart of This Coastal Brick House in Brazil

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.