Gustavo Penna graduated in 1973 from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), where he studied with renowned professors Humberto Serpa, Rafael Hardy and Cuno Maurício Lussy, and where he later taught for three decades. In 1974, Penna founded the architecture office that still occupies the same centennial, eclectic-style house that once belonged to his grandparents, on Álvares Cabral Av., downtown Belo Horizonte. In that inspiring building, a team of 30 professionals think, design and build under the assurance that architecture is key to shaping the identity of a country.
GPA&A's projects present, upon modernist and baroque heritages, a look that is sensitive to architecture’s contemporary issues. They particularly stand out for the subtlety of their shapes and volumes, the gentle dialogue with the landscape, and the comfort and functionality of the indoor spaces. Some of them, such as the Guignard School - considered by Projeto magazine one of the 30 most relevant architectural works in Brazil - , won architecture awards, were exhibited in Brazil and abroad, and were featured in both Brazilian and foreign books and magazines.
Bringing together architectural excellence and good management practices, the office works in major and medium projects, and operates in partnership with other domestic and foreign offices, such as Richard Meier & Partners Architects a Pritzker Prize winner from the USA, and Gerkan, Marg und Partner (GMP), from Germany. GPA&A's projects can also be seen on the most important international websites, such as Urbarama and Contemporist.
