VILA MARIANA COLLECTIVE HOUSING

Project idea

The concept of collective living in Brazil is very common, although, most are gated communities, closed off from the rest of the city. By opening itself to the street, thus to the city, the Vila Mariana Collective Housing proposes a different condition of living, one that openly supports the urban way of living.

Project description

There are three independent residential blocks, that sit on different levels of the site, following its natural topography. It was important, from the beginning, to make the best use of the natural site, the slope toward the street create an ideal setting for sloping houses, maintaining an open view for each of the units. The natural slope also enables the creation of separation between each block and each program.

Technical information

The Vila Mariana Collective Housing is located at the Vila Mariana neighbourhood, in São Paulo, Brazil. Even though the site is near a subway station, there is a parking space for each of the residential units. On the Block A, set on the highest point of the site, the parking spaces are located under the residential volume, caved into the topography. The other Blocks have parking spaces protected by concrete slab. The project primarily makes use of concrete and wood for the brisee soleil.