Built in 1902, the two-story Art Nouveau–style building was designed by Carlos Ekman to serve as the residence of the family of Count Álvares Penteado. The building was donated to the University of São Paulo (USP) in 1949 and housed the headquarters of the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo (FAU-USP) until 1968. Currently referred to as FAU-Maranhão, the building houses the faculty’s graduate programs. The historic building is listed as a protected heritage site by CONDEPHAAT — the Council for the Defense of the Historical, Archaeological, Artistic, and Tourist Heritage of the State of São Paulo.