Most people ignore that much of the web’s intelligence has been built in Brazil, at Google’s Belo Horizonte Engineering Center, the only one in Latin America. The new office space has over 50,000 sqf across 4 floors of a mixed-use complex in the bohemian Santa Efigênia neighborhood. The challenge was to identify strong conceptual references that would link the global company to the young capital of the traditional Minas Gerais state. The interior design integrates graphics and lighting, exploring the tension between the local culture and the Google’s culture in a subtle and sophisticated approach.
Being part of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation expansion plans, the Fiocruz Ceara Campus is a key equipment of the Industrial and Technological Health Hub (ITHH), located on the municipality of Eusébio in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza.
The main objective of the Campus is to expand research laboratory areas related to the development and innovation of pharmaceuticals drugs, health equipment and materials, in addition to the development of scientific research directed to the environmental and epidemiological reality of the region and the dissemination of knowledge through post-graduate courses.
Located in a building built in the 60's in the city of São Paulo, the Retrofit Project of this Apartment started from two basic premises, one requested by the client and the other imposed by the existing property. The first was the search for a library to house the owner's extensive collection of books. It soon became clear to us that this space should be an architecturally important volume and that it should be the spirit of the project. The second was that the living room had a lower ceiling in most of it´s area because of the building structure. So, we redefined this perimeter in order to improve the circulation of the apartment, as well as to make that lowered living room a cozy space.
Article source: grupo garoa arquitetos associados ltda.
This house turns itself to the inside, in a way it is instrospective, a feature that comes from the place's specific constraints – the linear conformation of the lot, 5x35m, and its neighbour's tall lateral walls. Because of this, views to the exterior are scarce. With the exception of the front bedroom, all environments turn to the coutryards – the indoor and the outdoor.
The Project was conceived with a re-reading of a traditional brazilian farmhouse, looking to bring traditional elements such as porch, patio, gable roof, eaves, combined with a contemporary design.
The first insight was to preserve the natural conditions of the site, a 2000 m² aclive, with 14 meters high difference beetween its extremeties.
Was defined the average elevation of the land for the implantation of the two volumes, on the left side the social one, facing the slope and taking advantage of the view with the pool set in half slope. On the right side is the private part of the house facing the slope, where are located the bedrooms and the reading room, protecting it from noise and giving better privacy.
Article source: Terra e Tuma Arquitetos Associados
The project for Itsu store in Rio de Janeiro was an interesting challenge for us: a project that required a fast design solution that complies with the demands of a shopping mall and, at the same time, something that dialogues with a young and urban brand that Itsu represents.
On our first visit, the concrete blocks from the existing structure of the shopping was a eye catching, which led us to develop an “exhibition wall”: revealing the raw materials of the building while also creating modular shelves with the blocks. The gray palette and the pale pink from the hydraulic tiles highlights the wooden objects of Itsu which, combined with the vegetation and the lighting, provides a fresh and contemporary atmosphere to the store.
The house was built for the architect and his family, preserving relief, stones and native trees, creating functional spaces that integrate domestic life with the nature of the place. The entrance of the house is done through a deck of 7cm thick wooden planks of demolition. This space doubles as an outdoor living room and is where the family spends most of the time.
The carbon steel structure used in most of the building made possible large spans with spares of reduced sections, allowing large window openings and creating open spaces in dialogue with the garden and the beautiful landscape of the region.
The owner of this loft (located in Panamby – SP), 100m² (only on the first floor) called me with the intention of making it more integrated throughout its social area.
The plan floor did not have major modifications, we just demolished the walls of the toilet and left it smaller to give more amplitude to the room.
We had the minimalism as premise, keeping the colors gray, white, black and brown (wood). Some of the references were also the New York´s lofts, so the brick wall white (where the TV is), the wooden floor, the stairs and the lighting in black. And to give a more sophisticated touch, we designed the TV rack on the “pau ferro” that matched perfectly with the rest.
As a metal container on apparent concrete walls, this house establishes two types of relationship with the immediate surroundings. The upper floor could be closed 100% to block the sunlight, ensure privacy and isolate the bedrooms acoustically. The lower floor can be totally opened to the landscaping of the terrain to integrate the internal spaces fluidly. It is a contemporary proposal for a young couple. Steel, wood and concrete are shown as they are, unadorned.
The project was based on an existing edicule located near one of the lateral boundaries of the site. The initial program contained only one bedroom, a bathroom and a warehouse that totaled 24sqm, this was expanded adding kitchen, service area and living room and turned into a 60sqm house.
The work had a restricted budget and a short time to execute, which directed the materials and the constructive method to be adopted. The construction lasted less than 3 months and cost less than $ 150sqm.
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