Sliding windows make up the facade of this apartment building in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, allowing residents to expose their living spaces to the elements (+ slideshow).

The Apartamento Kiev building was designed by local studio Arquitetura Nacional to offer a range of residences for families and couples, including two of the practice's partners and their parents.

Having grown up close to their own grandparents, architects Eduardo Maurmann and Elen Balvedi Maurmann wanted a similar childhood for their son.
The apartment tower provides this proximity while also offering the privacy of living on separate levels.

The architects and their son live on the top floor, with their parents on the second and fourth storeys. A first-floor apartment with its own terrace is also occupied and the third-floor unit is up for sale.
The building is located in an area of Porto Alegre that is undergoing rapid urbanisation. It therefore provides the occupants with good access to the amenities they require, including entertainment, shopping, culture and parks.

The large windows that stretch across the width of the building's facade frame extensive views of the skyline, creating the sense that the living areas extend out into the city.

"The most important thing we wanted to achieve was a feeling of being in a different place that is more connected to the surroundings," explained another of Arquitetura Nacional's partners, Paula Otto.

Related story: Tradit...