Architects often master one form of expression better than others. Even great architects leave their mark mainly in their country of origin, sometimes never daring to go abroad. Arthur Casas is an exception to both of these rules. He is equally at ease in the areas of residential architecture, commercial spaces, real estate development and design. As he states, “I have a holistic view of my profession, so I like to explore all areas and scales; from urbanism to the minor object design.”

Yinji：You have designed a lot of top luxury homes, how do you define top luxury homes? What are the essentials of a top luxury house? Will the tropical nature of Brazil also bring some limitations to the design?
Arthur Casas：I grew up in São Paulo, in a neighborhood full of trees that, unlike the massive majority of the city, was entirely planned. I spent my childhood going through the winding streets of Alto da Lapa, in the west zone, redoing the route imagined by the urban planners of Companhia City, a company based in London and that for a long time was an absolute reference in urban planning for São Paulo residents. This, perhaps, was my first contact with a foreign vision of how spaces could be thought and planned. The Studio's projects are based on human beings and their needs, as well as the search for the best possible relation with the local landscape, regardless of climate. Architecture is born in symbiosis with the interior design and the real scale of contemporary furniture, considering routes and, rationally, optimizing the occupation of a space.

Yinji：What do you think of the current international luxury housing design trend? What are the differences between luxury house design in tropical and non-tropical countries?
Arthur Casas：During this pandemic mostly, I've noticed a change in the way that people have understood how healthy it is to live adequately, with beauty and comfort. At the beginning of the pandemic I thought our field would go through a moment of deep recession, but we have never, and I am being very honest, we've never been so busy. Everyone with some financial backing in Brazil and outside is investing in the quality of their homes like never before. The family has never coexisted so much and so intensely as in this period. My creative process assumes that, in architecture, the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. The quality of the whole is a consequence of the care given to all the details of our design. For this reason, my attention is directed to all scales, from the building to the furniture. The Studio's projects are harmonious and generate empathy. We think about the projects taking into account the experience that the client will have in the space. Our architecture is designed to enhance the experience of those who will enjoy it.

Yinji：How do you understand the relationship between space and light and materials?
Arthur Casas：In our projects we aggregate design and architectural resources that allow us to make the constructions durable and sustainable to the most through high quality building systems. To achieve this, we count on a multidisciplinary team for each project, capable of creating many solution possibilities, based on circular economy and reuse systems concepts. This way, it is possible to create new experiences for the users and guarantee each project's high quality and sustainability.

Yinji：What inspired your interest in becoming an architect?
Arthur Casas：There are children who create computer programmes, others write books, I would design houses. In 1973, at only 12, I conceived my first project, a child’s play. First, there was no specific client. Part of the architecture is about establishing a dialogue with the person who you are designing to. I made up the programme, the client and the plot. But architecture is also about observation, and we pay attention to what interests us, especially when we are kids.

Yinji：What is the source of your design inspiration? What triggered your design style?
Arthur Casas：Humanism is the basis of my work, I am always the main character of my projects. I’ve got to be happy in the spaces I create - it’s for this purpose that I understand architecture. The Studio reflects and translates the uniqueness of customers into architecture. By internalizing customers / users, we create an architecture tailored to them, on demand, which best meets their needs and lifestyle.