Landscape of Brazils Wealthiest Beach Houses

In São Sebastião, 3 hours east of São Paulo, a 63-mile stretch of white-sand shoreline is dotted with the rich estates of Brazil. "There are actually two main things that individuals care about here," says designer Arthur Casas, with seven homes already built in the area and likens it to the Hamptons in New York City. "The view and the privacy."

He managed both with this four-house "condominium" commissioned in 2011 by Ana Marcondes, child of Pelerson Soares Penido, creator of Brazil's biggest toll-road business, CCR Group. 

Marcondes wanted the family to be able to spend weekends together however still be separate enough, so she asked Casas to construct four structures, each 3 stories tall with its own personal access to the beach, yet still sharing a primary entrance and the features of the 25,000-square-foot home.

Casas resolved the issues together: He highlighted the significant living room view of the ocean by blocking any internal views of the other structures in the complex, providing each a feeling of overall independence. The living-room roofing’s are planted with a lawn, which not only blends in naturally with the beautiful landscape but also provides the bedroom penthouses (and the sunbathing decks above) unbroken views of green all the way to the ocean. "It also generates lots of birds and butterflies," Casas states. And instead of a fencelike privet to provide privacy from the roadway, Casas and his team caused landscape designer Gil Fialho to cover a retaining wall with native tropical plants.

A corridor along the yard, linking the master suite with the other bed rooms, is safeguarded by wood louvers that keep the large areas ventilated. Inside, each big living room is embellished with a couch and coffee table designed internal by the Studio Arthur Casas group. Brazilian staples such as a Mole armchair by Sergio Rodrigues, Vareta lamps, and Kamy rugs complete the spaces. The floor-to-ceiling glass panels that frame the view of the ocean slide open, erasing the boundary in between what's within and exactly what's outside on the terrace, which has a deck, seat, an infinity pool, elegant pool surroundings, and an outdoor grill.