They Call It the Joy House—and It Lives Up to Its Name

When São Paulo natives Nicholas Beggs and Joyce Prestes made an offer on a somewhat run-down and narrow house near the city’s financial district, they had no hesitations about their choice. Its location was ideal—on a quiet street in Vila Madalena, an artsy residential enclave—and its 1,000-square-foot backyard was larger than any they’d seen in the area. They had no hesitation about their next steps either, which involved bringing on Arkitito, an award-winning local architecture firm, to transform the property into their ideal home.

"They are really original architects, so it was always my dream to buy a house and have them work on the project," says Joyce, a content strategist at a tech multinational. The fact that the studio’s founders, Chantal and Tito Ficarellii, are Nicholas’s cousins helped seal the deal. 

But familial bonds and professional admiration aside, both Joyce and Nicholas had clear instructions for the architects. "One of the main things we discussed with them is to have an integrated space and more natural light," says Nicholas, a metallurgical engineer. "The house was very compartmentalized, with lots of rooms and walls, and we wanted to see more of the backyard from inside."

The renovations to the 2,400-square-foot, three-story structure were extensive. Walls were torn down, windows were expanded, and bathrooms were relocated. Except for a few restored elements, including a beautiful star-patterned parquet floor in what is now the home office, and the distinctive cracked tile demarcating a patio in the backyard, every surface is new. At street level, on a downslope, is a garage and storage room; the second floor holds the aforementioned office plus a spacious, open-plan living and dining area integrated with a single-row kitchen overlooking the garden in the back; the top floor has three bedrooms.