Building 17 Cinco Zero

• Architects

The 17 Cinco Zero Building is located in Belém, in the Amazon, in the traditional neighborhood of Pedreira, named by the Pará writer Eneida de Moraes as the "neighborhood of samba and love," in reference to the Carnival celebrations that mark its history. The project was designed to be practical and efficient, with a low-cost sales standard, without compromising quality and a distinctive aesthetic.
Occupying a 590m² plot, one of the main challenges of the project was maximizing its construction potential within the limits of municipal legislation to make the development economically viable. The building consists of a ground floor, two parking levels, nine standard floors, and a leisure area on the rooftop. There are 36 apartments, distributed in four units per floor: two with two bedrooms, one with one bedroom, and one with three bedrooms. All apartments have a parking space, as required by law.

The project was conceived in two parts: the economic feasibility, which focused on the floor plans and was developed using market-standard computational tools, while the second stage involved numerous facade studies, created in an old-fashioned way, using pens and tracing paper, aiming for the speed and lightness of freehand drawing.

photo_credit Victor Estácio — Victor Estácio

The exterior of the parking levels was designed with Venetian glass bricks, strategically positioned to ensure natural lighting and ventilation. The building also features a natural air renewal system and ground permeability through grates that allow air circulation and rainwater flow between the ground floor, first, and second floors, improving the thermal comfort in these areas.

The building's architecture stands out for the sensation of moving cubes, giving personality to the façade. However, the standard floor plan is repeated identically on all floors, except for the windows on Facade 01 and 03, which follow the movement of the cubes. This allowed for standardization and, consequently, ease of construction. The movement effect is achieved solely through the detail of the balconies.

The facade is clad with 10x10 cm tiles, which facilitate installation and provide protect against the region's heavy rains ande evoking the historical roots of the city, known for its rich 18th and 19th-century tilework.

On the rooftop, the leisure area includes a pool, barbecue grill, and a multipurpose room, as well as a 360° view of the city. The view contrasts the urban center, with its buildings, and the outskirts, with small-scale constructions and environmental preservation areas, reinforcing the project's connection to its urban and natural context.