It is no surprise to learn that, before turning his hand to architecture, Marcio Kogan directed films. A cinematic quality pervades Casa P, which he designed for a family in the hilly suburb of Morumbi, overlooking the architect’s native city of São Paulo. Here on a sinuous residential road, Kogan’s constructivist fantasy stands out among the large houses of random styles sheltered behind high walls. Consisting of three concrete volumes stacked on top of each other, Casa P gains visual drama from the rotation of the middle one at 90 degrees to those above and below it. With this strategy, Kogan has initiated a dynamic dialogue between the trio of spatial entities, creating an interconnected set of stages and moods, from a covered terrace on the ground to an enclosed aerie at the top.

The volumes of the 8,320-square-foot house decrease in size in ascending order, with a stair (plus elevator) providing the axis around which they rotate. The more formal living rooms dominate the ground floor, separated from the service areas by a stair hall. Along with the master bedroom, the middle level contains three bedrooms en suite, and perched on top in the smallest, highest floor is a spacious family den.