Context
Nova Prata is a city with 25,000 inhabitants located less than 200 km from the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, in a region strongly marked by Italian immigration. The second half of the 20th century was marked by industrialization in the region, which made the city one of the most prosperous in the state, with a very high Human Development Index (HDI). The project is aimed at a generation of residents who experienced the city's enrichment and now see their children leaving for larger cities in search of education. As a result, this population finds a level of comfort and security in urban life that was previously unknown to a generation raised in small rural properties.
Strategies
The project takes advantage of the 2-meter slope of the terrain to position the required parking spaces in a semi-basement, accessed by a small ramp located at the lowest part of the front; on the opposite side, at the highest portion of the terrain, pedestrians access a platform that leads to a commercial space and the entrance to the building, protected by the overhang of the upper floors. The building has three types of apartments: six two-bedroom units, one rooftop unit with two terraces, and one ground floor apartment with direct access to a backyard patio. In all units, care was taken to ensure cross ventilation and at least one open area that provides contact with the exterior.
The structural grid is distributed in an ABA rhythm, alternating spans of 2.40 and 4.80 meters, optimizing the structure and making the project as economical as possible. Due to limited resources, there was a restricted amount of standardized window frames per unit. The solution found to guarantee ventilation was to position all windows on the east and west facades, facing the sides of the building, where the best views are also found, leaving the front and back facades blind.
Commercial standard windows were grouped in bands that organize the two open facades, alternating between closed glass panels and open balconies. On the rooftop, the lower and upper bands are maintained even in the exterior area, ensuring that the external appearance of the building is preserved regardless of future modifications made by residents, such as closing terraces and balconies.
Result
"Thus, it is evident that the master builders were, even in 1910, on the right path. Faithful to the tradition of not lying." COSTA, Lucio. 1962
Walking through Nova Prata, we see good examples of unpretentious architecture, made without trying to be more than what it is. These examples contrast with newer buildings, loaded with symbols that allude to an idea of invented tradition. In this project, decisions were based on objective facts, such as winds, views, and space utilization, resulting in an architectural object that justifies itself without needing to rely on external elements to gain significance. Thus, people moving from the countryside to the city do not inhabit a simulacrum of the vernacular pratense, but rather a contemporary expression of living.
Team:
Architect: 0E1 Arquitetos
Lead Architects: Ana Cristina Castagna, Anna Carolina Manfroi, Gabriel Giambastiani, Mario Guidoux
Photography: Sabrina Gabana
Structural Engineering: Paulo Bacchi
Electrical and Plumbing: Projelux
Material Used:
1. Construction System: Concrete, Brick, Stone
2. Finishes: Concrete, Fiber Cement, Stone
