Fab 40: MMBB Architects

Regular collaborators of Pritzker and Mies van der Rohe prize-winner Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, and multi-award winners themselves in both international biennale gatherings and local competitions, MMBB were established in 1991 in Sao Paolo by three directors, Fernando de Mello Franco, Marta Moreira and Milton Braga.
The firm’s latest work is the practically transparent Rolim de Camargo House in Sao Paolo. The large glazed structure sits on just four columns, partly lifted from the ground to allow space for outdoor leisure activities and at the same time emphasizing the house’s outdoor/indoor relationship. Two main reinforced concrete load-bearing walls allow for a flexible internal layout, which accommodates all the necessary living areas over three levels, as well as a central courtyard.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The best of refillable beauty design, edited by Wallpaper*
Wallpaper’s pick of the best refillable beauty design includes make-up, skincare, fragrance and haircare with beautifully formed bottles, tubes and containers from the likes of Dries Van Noten, Davines and more
-
Wear Shihara’s minimalist strands of pearls and gold clasps however you see fit
Shihara gives a lesson in minimalist pearl jewellery with new collection ‘Node’
-
Alice Adams, Louise Bourgeois, and Eva Hesse delve into art’s ‘uckiness’ at The Courtauld
New exhibition ‘Abstract Erotic’ (until 14 September 2025) sees artists experiment with the grotesque
-
Beige is best at this São Paulo apartment by Arthur Casas
With this quietly elegant São Paulo apartment, Studio Arthur Casas celebrates the power of subtle, neutral shades to create warmth and timeless appeal
-
Lina Bo Bardi, the misunderstood modernist, and her influential architecture
A sense of mystery clings to Lina Bo Bardi, a modernist who defined 20th-century Brazilian architecture, making waves still felt in her field; here, we explore her work and lasting influence
-
A Brazil office makes the most of its tropical location
We tour of a new Brazil office engulfed in greenery – welcome to Gabriel Faria Lima Corporate by Perkins & Will
-
Oscar Niemeyer: a guide to the Brazilian modernist, from big hits to lesser-known gems
Architecture master Oscar Niemeyer defined 20th-century architecture and is synonymous with Brazilian modernism; our ultimate guide explores his work, from lesser-known schemes to his big hits; and we revisit a check-in with the man himself
-
Inspired by 1970s Brazilian brutalism, Arches House is rich in colour and expression
Akitito Arquitetura blends Brazilian brutalism with fresh colours, bringing warmth and energy into a renovated family home in São Paulo
-
A Brazilian house is a soothing oasis inspired by the black sands of Iceland
Turmalina, a Brazilian house by architect Tulio Xenofonte, blends contemporary architecture with the cleansing energy of black tourmaline, creating a secluded retreat
-
The new MASP expansion in São Paulo goes tall
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) expands with a project named after Pietro Maria Bardi (the institution's first director), designed by Metro Architects
-
An Upstate Sao Paulo house embraces calm and the surrounding rolling hills
BGM House, an Upstate Sao Paulo house by Jacobsen Arquitetura, is a low, balanced affair making the most of its rural setting