Sustainability

Located a stone’s throw from the region’s technology center, this house is nestled into a stand of mature cedar trees. Our client wanted a house that had abundant natural light and a strong connection to the land. To accomplish that, we pushed the building back away from the street, freeing up a large outdoor area, then organized the interior into two wings – living and sleeping. We then developed a series of courtyards that terrace up the site and through the building, linking inside and outside space in a sinuous whole.

Located in Serra da Mantiqueira, in Santo Antônio do Pinhal – SP, this house was built using adapted local construction techniques and with low environmental impact.

The concept of “decarbonization” has been in vogue recently in political speeches and global environmental events, but it has not yet gained enough attention in the field of architecture to profoundly change the way we design and construct the world of tomorrow. Buildings are currently responsible for 33% of global energy consumption and 39% of greenhouse gas emissions, indicating that architects must play a significant role if we are to stop or reverse climate change. With carbon acting as a universally agreed upon metric with which the greenhouse gas emissions of a building can be tracked [1], one of the most important ways through which this goal can be achieved is therefore the decarbonization of buildings.

The Ariake Gymnastics Centre “A Wooden Vessel Floating in the Bay Area” – The Ariake Gymnastics Centre is designed to function in two phases; initially as a temporary international sports competition facility, then, after taking out the temporary spectator stands, it will be converted into a permanent exhibition hall. A unique feature of this facility is its extensive and generous use of timber throughout the building.