Designing houses in tropical climates, as is the case in Brazil, means paying special attention to openings, both in relation to the functioning and conviviality of the house, as well as in relation to issues of environmental comfort. In this article we bring you 16 Brazilian homes that take advantage of their strategic openings to create cozy, stunning, well-lit and ventilated environments.
Founded by the architect and professor Angelo Bucci, spbr arquitetos works in different scales of construction of buildings with a distinct and particular language in its works. Its projects are the result of an intense exercise in architectural thinking, combined with the use of drawing as a tool for dialogue between architects and clients.
Every year, our curatorial team presents a retrospective of house projects that stood out over the period. This collection, a small selection of the more than two thousand projects published on ArchDaily Brasil this year alone, comprises a series of residences with specific design solutions that address, each in their own way, factors such as materials, construction techniques, structural systems, building processes, and programs.
The word commensality refers to the act of eating together, sharing a meal. Much more than a mere function of essential human need, sitting at the table is a practice of communion and exchange. An article by Cody C. Delistraty compiles some studies on the importance of eating together: students who don't eat regularly with their parents miss school more; children who do not have daily dinner with their family tend to be more obese and young people in families without this tradition can have more problems with drugs and alcohol, in addition to poorer academic performance. Evidently, all these issues raised are complex and should not be reduced to just one factor. But having a suitable place to have meals, free from distractions, is a good starting point for at least one moment a day that is focused on conversation and food. This is where dinner tables come in. In this article, we review some projects to classify the most common ways to deploy these important pieces of furniture.
The rapid growth of Brazilian cities without adequate oversight by public authorities has resulted in a series of problems stemming from a lack of decent housing. Since the 1980s, grassroots community associations and academics have joined forces to pressure the government into developing housing policies that would not only construct new homes and neighborhoods, but also secure other fundamental rights, such as healthcare and education. Today, forty years after this initial push, we observe a lack of public housing policies across all three levels of government targeting the most vulnerable populations, even as we see a growing popularization of Technical Assistance for Social Interest Housing, known as ATHIS.
Responsible use and consumption of natural resources and the impacts of the building industry have been ongoing concerns in the field of architecture and urban planning. In the past, concepts such as clean slates, mass demolitions, and building brand new structures were widely accepted and encouraged. Nowadays, a transformation seems to be taking place, calling for new approaches such as recycling, adaptive reuse, and renovations, taking advantage of what is already there. This article explores a selection of projects and provides a glimpse into interventions by renowned architects in pre-existing buildings.
Researchers credit the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as the first examples of green roofs. Although there is no proof of its exact location and very little literature on the structure, the most accepted theory is that King Nebuchadnezzar II built a series of elevated, ascending terraces with varied species as a gift to his wife, who missed the forests and mountains of Persia, their local land. According to Wolf Schneider [1] the gardens were supported by brick vaults, and under them, there were shaded halls cooled by artificial irrigation of the gardens, with a much milder temperature than the outside, in the plains of Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). Since then, examples of green roofs have appeared all over the world, from Rome to Scandinavia, in the most diverse climates and types.
Nevertheless, inserting plants on roofs is still viewed with suspicion by many, as they are thought to be costly and difficult to maintain. Others, however, argue that the high implementation costs are quickly offset with savings in air conditioning and especially that occupying the building's fifth façade with vegetation is, above all, a rational solution. In any case, the question remains as to how green roofs can really help with climate change.
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Not every architectural project can incorporate a landscaping project, consider a garden or access to ample green space. Smaller spaces need more creative strategies to incorporate vegetation. Regardless of the context, plants offer benefits in all types of spaces, such as indoor temperature regulation, an option for sustainable production on a smaller scale than a greenhouse, in addition to their aesthetic qualities. In this article, we present 4 simple strategies and a selection of examples for incorporating plants in small-scale spaces, all of which can be found in Architonic's Planting section.
Wood is one of the most versatile materials used in construction nowadays and can be used for many different purposes, from beginning to end of the building process. Working with wood in a building requires specific skills that are very different from the skills of a bricklayer. Carpentry and joinery are the two main trades that handle wood in architecture and construction.
There is a fine line between the two, and people are often confused about which professional is the best suited for a particular job. This article will address the difference between the two practices to help you choose which one is best for your project.
Houses are the most intimate structures we as architects can design. It is no coincidence that intimacy, security, and privacy are recurring concepts in residential architecture. Yet, like all architecture, houses are inevitably embedded in a context—an environment with which they must engage. There are many ways to achieve this, particularly within highly dense urban fabrics, as is the case in many Brazilian cities.
Briefly, structural masonry is a construction system in which the walls of the building perform a structural function, using masonry units arranged in a way that is self-supporting and load-bearing. The walls will evenly distribute the load to the foundation and later into the ground.
Stacked in layers, the bricks, blocks, or stones may or may not be connected by a binder (mortar) and steel reinforcements that heavily influence the mechanical properties of the wall, dimensioned to resist active forces.
Everything built through human physical and intellectual labor carries meaning. It is within physical matter that we find the remains of ancient civilizations, and through these records, we understand their characteristics, the technologies involved, and their social organization. Cities and major urban centers hold layers upon layers of events recorded in their streets, buildings, plazas, and parks. Often, depending on the development of the place, this evidence is gradually erased, disregarded, and altered.
Natural or artificial, lighting is one of the most important elements in architecture, directly affecting our perception of spaces. It is capable of defining volumes, enhancing colors, textures, and therefore, contributing to the overall relationship between dimension, proportion, and contrasts. One of the many challenges of architecture is to shape spaces based on light and shade, and sometimes natural light is not enough, requiring additional light sources to be installed and controlled.
Beyond viewing the home as mere shelter and protection, there is now a much greater complexity of functions integrated into the elementary programs of dwelling. We no longer think only of spaces for sleeping, cooking, and bathing, but rather of a series of new programs that demand new spaces and configurations. Among these, leisure emerges as an activity integrated into living, in the form of backyards, swimming pools, and TV rooms.
Marcelo Ferraz, founding partner—alongside Francisco Fanucci—of Brasil Arquitetura, an office that has garnered numerous national and international awards in recognition of projects that are deeply sensitive to their site, yet essentially contemporary, is this week's guest on Arquicast.
The relationship between architecture and structure has been widely discussed and is repeatedly revisited by architects with every new project. Much like plumbing and electrical systems, the structural system is one of the essential disciplines that make up a building. Yet, it is one of the most impactful on the architectural outcome, directly shaping the spatial experience and the chosen materiality. Mastering structural design and understanding how to best integrate it into the architectural project grants architects greater autonomy and expands the possibilities of design solutions.
Selecting a structural system and deciding how to incorporate it into the architectural design is a pivotal decision in any project. On one hand, architects can choose to absorb structural elements, camouflaging them within the building envelope to make them imperceptible. On the other, the structural system can be brought to the forefront, turning into a defining feature of the design—whether through its structural logic, its materiality, or by being elevated to a nearly sculptural element.
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