Using architecture as a means to enrich this natural affection that permeates the place, amongst the people and the dolphins, this project proposes the building of a subtle interface between the city and the water, respecting the limitations of the geography and what’s already on the site. By putting together a landscape that exposes this interaction, it seeks to spread the environmental and social weight that derives from it, and therefore contribute to the maintenance of the biodiversity and of this cultural and communitarian tradition. Furthermore, this project intends to demonstrate that alternative and sustainable paths are possible, establishing itself in agreement with nature.

Both the fishermen and the dolphins at the Tramandaí River shore have been suffering economic and social impacts due to the region’s disorderly occupation, environmental pollution, devaluation of the fishing trade and seasonal tourism – all factors that threaten the survival of this unique interaction. The seasonal increase of the population causes – besides the verticalization of the urban tissue and the pollution of the natural environment – the congestion of the bridge currently connecting Tramandaí and Imbé, an issue that directly affects the tourists that transit between these cities during summer’s high season. This aspect led to an announcement by Imbé’s city hall regarding the construction of a new bridge to connect both cities. This proposed bridge, however, would be crossing the dolphin’s habitat in the estuary, where the cooperative fishing occurs.

To the right - news showing the proposal bridge to be built between Tramandaí and Imbé. The connection between the Caxias and Alfredo Elias streets was chosen for covering the shortest distance and therefore being the less expensive option.

Since the dolphins communicate through echolocation, the resulting noise of the bridge’s use by vehicles would be extremely harmful to their communication. Consequently, the cooperative fishing would be extinct; if nowadays the fishing is already affected by the scarcity of fish in the estuary, without the interaction with the dolphins this activity would become extremely difficult. As a result, the families that rely on the trade for a living would probably be left without enough resources to survive. As well as in any ecosystem, the relation between organisms establishes a web that, if torn at any point, damages all who are a part of it.

It is precisely on the new bridge’s proposed location that this project aims to intervene, at the place currently known as “Largo dos Botos” square, located at the river’s southern margin. In this region, the presence of sand dunes limited the anthropic occupation, allowing the existence of a large foreshore. According to Ilha et al (2020), it is at the Barra’s southern margin that the defining interactions of cooperative fishing take place. Where the sand meets the brackish water is also where the fishermen get closer to the dolphins. The dimension of this area enables the movement called “dolphin’s run”, in which the fisherman, perceiving the dolphin’s communication, moves on the shore alongside them. A lot of fishermen converge to this location, which is also where they leave their gear and their bicycles. Likewise, it’s on this margin that most of the sales are made, directly between fishermen and buyers, since the large foreshore allows a great social plurality to occur. Taking these symbolic aspects in consideration, it becomes necessary to plant a flag on this area, which has belonged to cooperative fishing for so long. The erection of an environmental education center poses a congruent proposal, considering the natural interactions which take place in the area, becoming a counterproposal to the bridge’s installation. This project would benefit both the surrounding community and potential tourists, bringing them closer to the local ecosystem. Furthermore, it would house the academic researchers who frequently monitor the environment, as well as other students interested in the theme, following the dynamics of open-air classes and guided visitations already in place. The presence of the fishermen is also considered essential to the shore, therefore it’s understood that the proposal of appropriate and comfortable spaces is intrinsic to the preservation of this traditional activity.

As a result, a linear and horizontal occupation of the space is proposed, designing a path that references the “dolphin’s run” movement – and thus guides the user towards the understanding that they’re a part of this ecological community. This is materialized through a wooden deck and covering, which act as a counterpoint for two anchor elements that symbolize the territory’s agents – a volume in honor of the fishermen and an open-air amphitheater for environmental education – both structured in stone, emerging from the soil as if they were an intrinsic part of it. The project is organized in three zones, which follow the layout of the surrounding streets: the first one is geared towards the recognition of cooperative fishing, due to the proximity to where it happens; the second is directed towards environmental education, since it’s possible to see the cooperative fishing happening to the northeast of the location; the last one, in between the other two, is a connection path, which bends and winds to embrace the existing vegetation.

The first zone embraces mainly support programs for the prolonged stay of the fishermen. The stone building that houses them also the supports an urban square shaped by the layout of the surrounding streets. Stands where the fishermen can clean their catch and sell it are positioned along the path – which sits upon a wooden deck – providing direct communication between the fishermen and the city as dignified spaces allow for this traditional activity to take place.

The intermediary zone – a connection area – harbors facilities that are attractive to the community, such as kiosks and restaurants. Additionally, the path’s inflexion creates a multi-use sandy esplanade: it can be a stage for events and sports or act as an extension for the surrounding shops. Here, the constructed area is limited as it faces the river.

The third zone is destined to environmental education and contains, along the path, expositive and interactive spaces related to the ecosystem. Public space is centered around the amphitheater’s stone volume alongside gardens of natural vegetation, providing a calm and contemplative aspect to it. A gradual approximation to the riverbed is also proposed through a series of plateaus that overcome the topographic differences between the river and the street, as well as a wooden pier that advances over the water.

The architectural proposal is integrated to urbanistic interventions, aiming to achieve a subtle transition from the urban interface to the natural environment. Therefore, a redesign of the street that encircles the project’s site is proposed, turning it into a shared space and thus stimulating the active mobility already present in the city – such as frequent walks or bike rides to the beach. Following the hierarchy of users proposed by Brashaw in 1994, pedestrians and cyclists have priority at crossroads. Thus, the street’s width is reduced to its minimal dimension, allowing vehicular passage only to the region’s residents, at a 10km/h maximum speed, and is delimited on the side by large flowerbeds. The rest of the road is shared between pedestrians and cyclists, without curbs nor level differences between the different parts of the pavement, hindering the passage of vehicles and generating an integrated space.

The landscaping reinforces the subtle transition between urban and natural spaces, urging users to learn about the environment, its native species and traditional customs. All species proposed are native to the region and interact at some capacity with the local agents – humans and animals – reaffirming the richness and complexity of the coastal ecosystem.

0. The existing trees, “casuarinas”, although an invasive species, were chosen to be maintained for their important role as shelter to the local birdlife. Their presence guided the architectural project’s design and, in this way, they’re isolated from the native species which are being proposed, avoiding conflicts. 1. The proposed flowerbeds on the shared street should receive fruit trees, which will attract the birdlife. Additionally, they will also house herbaceous species that are commonly associated with traditional knowledge and its transmission via healing methods and teas. 2. Filtration gardens are always placed near the constructed area, to aid the purification of the water. They are composed of species of tall grass with long roots, which also act as a food supply to the shore’s native fauna. 3. The water facing public spaces molded by fixing gardens made up of small-sized dunes covered in native vegetation, which acquires specific flowering and colors as it nears the river. The urban planning strategies aim to reduce the anthropogenic impact over the natural environment, acting upon the path made by the water as it flows from the urban space to the riverbed. The purpose of utilizing permeable pavement and flowerbeds on the street is to reduce the pluvial water flow, as they will slowly absorb it. At the filtration gardens, the long-rooted vegetation filters this water and reduces its speed as it goes towards the river, avoiding the erosion of the terrain. At last, the water can also be absorbed by the fixing gardens and the natural soil of the dunes.

The whole project aims to be established in a sustainable way, in harmony with nature. Therefore, bioclimatic strategies were utilized to guide the construction’s implantation and operation: the sliding brise du soleil in the façade with most solar incidence and the separation between the wooden covering and construction modules provide a thick layer of air that eases temperature exchange with the environment – this aspect is reinforced by the presence of vegetation on top of the roof. It is also through the wooden covering that rainwater and solar energy are collected, intended to be used internally as well as returned to the public space nearby.

Construction-wise, the project follows a modular logic that is repeated throughout its erection, with the objective of achieving a construction rationale which will lower the impact on the environment. The structure is composed by a main stucture which supports both the wooden deck and the covering with a sequence of round pillars – seeking fluidity in the path – and double beams. The joints between structure elements are achieved by cutouts that fit together. The settling is done with pegs located between beams and pillars. The beams themselves also fit together through matching cutouts. This technique aims to avoid the use of metallic pieces on the main structure, due to the accelerated oxidation, characteristic of marine environments. Contained in the main structure is the woodframe system that sustains the programmatic modules. It follows the same logic throughout the project, varying, from zone to zone, by the frame’s design alone.

Section detail: the frames of the fishing stands slide vertically and are locked in place by small pegs situated in pre-established spots, aiming to reduce the use of metallic trails and to allow the complete opening of the stands. The brise du soleil’s tracks are positioned on the superior section and are encased by a wooden protection, thus avoiding oxidation and the accumulation of sand. The filtration gardens have both an emergency drainage system for periods of flood as well as an irrigation system, which utilizes the pluvial water collected on the roof, intended for long periods of drought.

Therefore, the construction is materialized from what the natural environment provides and establishes itself as a part of it, helping to enrich and preserve it. In a symbiotic relationship, this architecture wouldn’t exist without nature and nature itself can flourish alongside it.