Concept and Design Approach

Throughout the project, the concept of walkability is presented, where there is a perception of spaces and views through the paths traveled and social interaction, as well as open terraces with vegetable gardens and voids that promote the urban landscape and integration of vertical neighborhoods, spaces of contemplation and idleness essential in a metropolis like São Paulo. Based on the repertoire and design exercises, some elements were brought in to contribute to the guidelines defined for the site and the ideas discussed about the land and formal possibilities. Thus, the idea of connecting the two buildings was initiated, while understanding the context and the interference of building heights, and bringing references to local architecture into the design, expressing movement and presenting a volumetry that stands out without erasing the existing history, contributing to and continuing with what is present. The connections also have a role in expressing the division of the implemented use sectors in the architectural form, demonstrating the functional character of the buildings, while the protruding slabs and guardrails highlight the structural character.

Site Plan

Aerial perspective and its relation to the surroundings.

Volumetry

The volumetry seeks to break away from the recurring orthogonality of São Paulo's cityscape while reinforcing the numerous movements and flows that make up the city center with its sculptural curves. Its red color represents its popular and social power, together with its curves associated with the complexity of human relationships and their organic qualities. A footbridge draws the connection between institutional and residential, between work and home - a key movement for a large part of the population of a metropolis. The interaction with vegetation and the purity of the materials used harkens back to the Paulista Brutalism and its recurring organic feature. The ground floor seeks to create intimacy with the idea of the high-rise building, inviting the passerby to take shelter. The loose slabs reinforce the movements generated by the light curves that make up its design, giving meaning to the function of the footbridge and turning its path into a unique experience. Its movement understands its surroundings and adapts naturally to fit in, reinforcing the organic nature of the project, drawing light and shadow, and guiding the landscape.

The structures used were divided into three parts, which were reinforced concrete, steel beam, and steel deck for the institutional building's slab. The choice was defined according to the rigid core and the possibility of having no pillars, with one side of the 50m span bridge connecting to this core. Steel beams were chosen for the bridge construction due to the material's versatility, and the arch made along its length allows for a better-structured load support, providing a clear view. The right building is built of reinforced concrete, with no beams, and its slab has a section to become structural. The pillars interconnecting the floors were made following a curved shape, and the rigid core was removed for better room coverage. A staircase and elevator shaft were placed at the end for better support

A population of approximately 400 people was calculated for the residential building and 220 people for the institutional building, requiring a total reserve of 42,000L in the residential building (divided into 16,800L in the upper reservoir and 25,200L in the lower reservoir) and 15,000L in the institutional building (only in the upper reservoir), with these reservoirs being made of cast-in-place concrete. According to safety standards, smoke-proof enclosed staircases were designed with only refuge areas, based on the activities involved. Furthermore, the necessary parameters for the elevators were calculated, using a Schindler model with a capacity of 10 people at a speed of 1.5 m/s. Due to the specificities and minimum times required for each building in their different uses, it was determined that two elevators were needed in the institutional building and three elevators in the residential building.