Featured at CASACOR SP, Nildo José uses architecture to move people and tell stories

Nildo José was among the most talked-about professionals in the CASACOR São Paulo 2026 lineup. A graduate of Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, the young architect from Bahia interpreted the theme Mind and Heart with sensitivity, paying tribute to the memory of his father in the Casa Coral Celeiro Alvorada project.

Nildo José | NJ+ Arquitetos - Casa Coral Celeiro Alvorada. (Juliano Colodeti, do MCA Estúdio/Divulgação)

The 213 sq m living room drew attention for its numerous references to farm life, including an imposing sculpted travertine fireplace, and also for the immense bookshelf holding about 4,000 books, accessed via a purple-toned helical staircase. The project used architecture as "a support for what remains" and connects with the great philosophies of Nildo José's work: creating projects that move people, tell stories and serve as a backdrop for happy moments.

O dormitório, que mantém as tonalidades terrosas da paleta cromática, fica resguardado por um painel curvo. (Maura Melo/Divulgação)

Beyond CASACOR São Paulo, in which he has already participated for seven editions, his creations are marked by elegance, dynamism and the vivacity that humanizes spaces. These characteristics go hand in hand with a great familiarity with design trends, contemporary visual arts and a passion for functional spaces. Below, seven questions to get to know the mind behind Celeiro Alvorada better.

1. What were the main challenges of participating in CASACOR 2026? And the main achievements reached since then?

Nildo José: The greatest challenge was exposing something so particular and intimate in a show like CASACOR. The project was born out of a very personal need, and putting it in the spotlight meant, in a way, putting myself out there too. At the same time, I wanted to work with less obvious colors, avoiding choices that might be easier or immediately accepted.

It was an exercise in courage and coherence: sustaining an identity of my own, even knowing that it would be seen and interpreted by many people. And I think that was also the great achievement. Being able to present a project that truly translated our vision, without giving up personality, and realizing that this authenticity and my vulnerability also resonated with people.

2. What was the most special element of your project at CASACOR São Paulo 2026?

NJ: Hard to pick just one; I'm torn between the staircase and the fireplace, both were very special.

Nildo José | NJ+ Arquitetos - Casa Coral Celeiro Alvorada. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Juliano Colodeti, do MCA Estúdio/Divulgação)

3. What did you discover while doing CASACOR that people on the outside can't even imagine?

NJ: Choosing the right color after many attempts and also composing the tones on a cinematic scale, following the 60%, 30% and 10% rule, was a wonderful laboratory.

4. How does your creative process work when designing a new project?

NJ: There is no rule, it depends on what the heart calls for. This year, the creative process began by studying the history of Parque da Água Branca.

NJ+ | Nildo José - Casa LG. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2024. (MCA Estúdio/Divulgação)

5. What does an architect need to stand out in the market today?

NJ: Personality! I think that, regardless of movements and trends, it is essential to embrace who you are, recognize your own perspective and have the courage to defend it. Trends come and go, but a consistent identity endures.

For me, standing out does not necessarily mean doing something completely different, but having a unique way of seeing, interpreting and translating the world through architecture. You need to have a repertoire, of course, but also a stance. Knowing what makes sense to you and supporting those choices with truth.

(Denilson Machado, do MCA Estúdio/Divulgação)

6. What professional dream would you like to achieve?

NJ: I am fully aware that each delivered project is another dream come true – mine and my clients'. I think this is one of the most beautiful parts of the profession: transforming a desire, often still abstract, into something concrete that becomes part of someone's life. And, of course, moving people emotionally — we can never forget that!

Honestly, more than thinking of a single great professional dream, I want to continue having the opportunity to make many dreams come true through architecture, always with projects that carry this truth.

(Denilson Machado/Divulgação)

7. Recommend a book, film or even a destination that shaped your creative perspective.

NJ: I can't choose just one element, or one book or one film... My perspective changes every time I encounter something I consider beautiful. It could be a flock of birds in the northeastern sertão or an experience on my last trip to Japan. I believe beauty is everywhere. What is up to us, as architects, is to be attentive, look with curiosity and know how to select what touches us and can nourish our repertoire. In the end, it is this constant exercise of observing that shapes our perspective.

Nildo José Arquitetos | NJ+ - SERTÃO PORTINARI. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2022. (Denilson Machado/Divulgação)