The studio
Forma Atelier
We are an architecture and interior-design studio based in São Paulo. Since 2018 we have been working on residential, hospitality, and small commercial projects across Brazil, with occasional work in South America and Europe.
Our projects are led by the specific conditions of each site and the particular way each client lives or works. We do not have a signature style in the conventional sense — but our work is consistently preoccupied with material, light, proportion, and the relationship between a building and its landscape.
How we work
We take a limited number of projects at any time so that we can be genuinely involved from first concept through to construction completion. We do not hand over work at design stage and we do not make decisions we cannot defend.
We work with a small group of trusted engineers, contractors, and craftspeople — many of whom we have collaborated with on multiple projects. This continuity matters. A contractor who understands how you think produces better work than one who is interpreting a specification for the first time.
We are interested in buildings that work well without mechanical support: that are cool without air-conditioning, warm without heating, and light without artificial light for most of the day. These are not ideological positions — they are practical ones that produce more comfortable, less expensive, and more resilient buildings.
6
people
24
projects
2018
founded
Team
Marina Costa
Founder & Architect
Marina founded Forma Atelier in 2018 after working with residential and cultural projects in São Paulo and Lisbon.
Rafael Mendes
Architect
Rafael leads project development and construction coordination, with a particular interest in structure and material systems.
Clara Nunes
Interior Designer
Clara works across interiors, furniture, and material selection, bringing a careful eye to proportion and detail.
Selected recognition