Founded in 2004 by then-architecture students Carlos Maia, Débora Vieira Mendes, and Igor Macedo, Tetro Arquitetura boasts a portfolio that spans projects across much of Brazil, yet maintains a remarkably cohesive approach. In the view of some architectural critics, the formal and conceptual identity defining the firm's work is driven in part by the influence of the Brazilian modernist tradition. But is this actually the case? This and other questions are explored in this casual conversation with the unconventional trio from Minas Gerais.
While architectural elements and spatial strategies characteristic of Brazilian modernism are clearly visible across their body of work, their contemporary approach is even more pronounced, updating this repertoire through a lens that is highly tuned and respectful of context. Unsurprisingly, the firm has garnered international awards and recognition, including a recent invitation to exhibit in Venice at one of the collateral events of the Architecture Biennale.
