ARCHITECTS OFFICE’s White & Case offices in Sao Paulo masterfully blend Brazilian identity with modern functionality, creating an adaptive workspace that fosters community and connection through thoughtful design and local materials.

The interior architecture of the Brazilian headquarters of the global law firm White & Case was developed by ARCHITECTS OFFICE (AO) and stems from a sensitive and profound investigation into how to integrate Brazilian identity and corporate character within an international context—embracing tradition, contemporaneity, and locality, while prioritizing the human experience.

The project’s conception emerged from an understanding of place, combined with the intangible aspects of culture and behavior, and the functional nature of space—transforming observation and analysis into narrative and atmosphere.

Every decision—from the choice of Brazilian materials to visual communication, furniture by national designers, and works of art—was designed to reveal local culture without resorting to stereotypes, creating an experience that welcomes, stimulates, and engages those who inhabit the space.

The material palette was conceived to evoke nature, using natural wood and stone to strengthen the connection between the built environment and the organic essence of the Brazilian landscape. At AO, interiors are understood as an extension of architecture, where light, textures, and volumes intertwine to create sensations that transcend mere functionality.

The layout organizes the office around a continuous flow that connects social areas—such as the reception, café, and landscaped terrace—with private workspaces and meeting rooms. The open-space configuration integrates workstations with acoustic solutions, phone booths, and rotating rooms, fostering flexibility, privacy, and adaptability to the team’s diverse needs. The meeting rooms feature retractable partitions that allow for either integration or separation.

A gradual transition of materials—from darker tones at the core to brighter areas around the perimeter—combined with floor and partition curves inspired by Burle Marx, creates a sense of fluidity, continuity, and belonging, subtly and elegantly expressing Brazilian identity.

Aligned with AO’s vision of adaptability and flexibility, the project incorporates a structural and programmatic logic designed to evolve over time, responding to changing uses and contexts. The reception area, for instance, was conceived as a mutable space that can merge with the café to host events and clients or transform into a more intimate and formal environment according to the firm’s daily needs.

This approach reinforces AO’s pursuit of architecture that adapts, renews itself, and provides sustainable responses to the recurring obsolescence of contemporary practice—an architecture that dialogues with its surroundings while building a distinct identity for both the environment and the creative process of each project.