Casa da Barão: A Vision of Modernity with Soul

Los Angeles is drowning in a sea of soulless, so-called “modern” mansions. These monolithic structures, built by developers chasing a quick profit, are little more than sterile white cubes dressed up in excessive marble, as if a high price tag could mask their fundamental lack of imagination. They are blank canvases that will never be painted, homes without stories, spaces that feel more like luxury clinics than places to truly live.

And then, you come across something like Casa da Barão by Passarelli Arquitetos in Brazil, and suddenly, you remember what modern architecture should be.

I first saw this house on The Cool Hunter (check out their full article here), and it stopped me in my tracks. This is a home that understands its landscape, that embraces its surroundings rather than fighting them. It’s sleek, yes, but it has warmth. It has intention. It has soul.

The star of the show? That pool.

Pools in LA have become another casualty of uninspired design. Infinity pools dominate, as if the only way to make a pool luxurious is to make it disappear. They sit on the edge of every overpriced mansion, predictable and characterless, offering no true relationship with their environment. But Casa da Barão’s pool is something else entirely. A perfect, circular body of water that feels sculptural, thoughtful, and seamlessly woven into the earth. It doesn’t just exist in the space—it belongs there. It’s not trying to be trendy or scream for attention; it’s effortlessly iconic.

This is what I want to see more of in modern architecture. Homes that work with their settings, that feel like they grew from the land rather than being imposed on it. Thoughtful details. A sense of artistry. A connection to nature.

Los Angeles could learn something from Casa da Barão. Instead of churning out another soulless, oversized white box, maybe it’s time to bring back some real vision. Maybe it’s time to build spaces that aren’t just expensive, but extraordinary. Follow @passarelli_arquitetos for more. Photography by @fernandogguerra.