Symbiosis
Academic
MIT SA+P
Spring 2018
São Paulo, Brazil
Critic: Angelo Bucci
The rural territory that exists between the outskirts of São Paulo and the border of the Capivari Monos natural reserve that includes the recently discovered Colonia Crater has yet to be recognized as an integral link between city and nature. At the moment, this area has both been neglected by the city and neglectful of nature. As the city has forgotten the importance of rural agricultural production to sustaining its economy, the agricultural workers have also forgotten the importance of nature in sustaining their livelihoods.
This project seeks to embody the symbiotic relationship between city and nature within this rural territory through three programs: a market, housing, and greenhouses. The market serves as a place of exchange—both of goods and of dialogue—between the agricultural producer and the urban consumer. The housing serves as an ecotourism destination for people to experience the farm-to-table process by living within the landscape and learning about sustainable agriculture. And finally, the greenhouses and botanical gardens serve as a way to appreciate the diversity of flora in the area and to give back to nature through reforestation.
Ibirabuera Park / Oscar Niemeyer / 1954
Museum of Modern Art / Affonso Eduardo Reidy / 1955
Museu Brasileiro de Escultura / Paulo Mendes da Rocha / 1995
Inspired by the canopies designed by Oscar Niemeyer at Ibirapuera Park, da Rocha at the Museu Brasileiro de Escultura, and Reidy at the Modern Art Museum in Rio, the three architectural programs share a single roof. These precedents demonstrate the ability of a single canopy to contain a variety of programs, or even no distinct program at all, and to sit lightly upon the landscape, as it is indifferent to what passes beneath it—whether it’s a road, an agricultural field, or a river.
The market is located at the end towards the city, at the highest point along the path, and serves as a simple plaza entrance into the natural reserve.
The ecotourism housing overlooks each side of the ridge by nestling between two hills. Each private room hangs from the roof structure above, leaving the rest of the shared space open to the air.
The greenhouse sits on the last hill providing a direct view of Vargem Grande and the Colonia crater. A light mesh hangs from the roof structure and surrounds the climate-controlled glass houses that nurse trees to repopulate the Atlanti forest.
Level 01 Plan
