Floresta Mall: intertwining architecture and nature
Floresta Mall is a critical analysis of the unplanned urban development at the agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Midwest Amazon. The proposal pays homage to nature by “bringing” a fragment of the Amazon rainforest into the project, in contrast with the broader context of northern Mato Grosso-an architectural manifesto offering a new possibility for occupation in the region.

Conceptually, the inspiration arises from a little-known aspect of Mato Grosso’s past. In 2024, through advanced remote sensing technologies, pre-Hispanic architectural structures were discovered in Mato Grosso. These records had been completely erased from the naked eye due to the high regenerative capacity of the Amazon rainforest and the use of natural materials in the configuration of these structures.

As a means to anchor a new front of urban development in Alta Floresta, the project seeks to apply bioclimatic architecture, using engineered timber and reinstating native vegetation to establish a microclimate within the building. It represents an architecture designed for minimal impact, with the possibility of disappearing and returning to its primary natural state should its human occupants no longer be present.

The architectural proposal
Floresta Mall seeks to coexist harmoniously with the urban expansion of a city in the southern Amazon. The project was conceived as a convenience center to serve the new residential developments emerging in the northern region of Mato Grosso, integrating with the local biome with minimal environmental impact.

Designed as a mixed-use program to promote integration, the project is organized around two main anchors: one composed of shops, commercial hubs, workspaces, and a gym; and the other, a family nucleus with outdoor sports courts. A large, tree-lined central plaza welcomes visitors, intertwining leisure, services, and commerce within a shared public space.

The landscape design, interpreted through the interplay of water layers and the bioclimatic context, reveals spaces that reflect the environment, with constructions that respect and symbolize the Amazonian surroundings. The architecture unveils the geometry of forest leaves, materializing how the flora filters light and creates shadow mosaics on the ground. This atmosphere of shade and light is complemented by natural cross-ventilation, evoking a sense of belonging to the Amazon.

Timber construction
By employing engineered timber, Floresta Mall materializes a low-impact construction system, promoting a balance between urban demands for social interaction and economic development, while encouraging integration with the Amazon biome. Reflecting the native vegetation in its internal pathways, the project not only belongs to the natural environment but also enriches it, embodying a symbiosis between architecture and nature.