laurent troost adds bright yellow metal lattice facade to apartment complex building in brazil

laurent troost architectures has completed the ‘manga – vila santa thereza’ apartment complex located in brazil. instead of the 18 studios initially requested by the client, the building includes 12 apartments of different types: 3 studios, 3 1-bedroom apartments, 3 2-bedrooms apartments and 3 3-bedrooms apartments.

all images by maíra acayaba

the east-west orientation of the building by laurent troost allowed for a longitudinal use that favors structures with less exposure to the sun. creating 2 blocks of 2 apartments per floor was a decision based on 3 specific factors. the first is linked to the architects’ desire to show respect to the typologies of the existing neighborhood which feature a courtyard with trees.

the second factor concerns the importance of the void as an element of thermal insulation. thanks to the east-west placement, when the sun is in its most horizontal position, one block provides shade for the other. the third and last factor has to do with the pre-existence of a large mango-tree on the site that, unfortunately, could not withstand the inconvenience of the work and had to eventually be re-planted.

on the east and west façades that are more exposed to the sun, a metal grid was installed. the lattice filters the light and the views, creating a yellowish ‘halo’ in line with the mango tree that inspired the project concept. these metal grades also reduce the solar incidence in order to reduce the need for cooling within the apartments.

the reduced width of the blocks, as well as the design of the openings in each facade, were planned to guarantee cross ventilation in all spaces. the passive sustainability characteristics of the building allow the demand for energy consumption of each housing unit to be well below the local average. the common areas have their light produced by photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs.

the typology proposes a kitchen / laundry area integrated with the living / dining area for all apartment models allowing greater interaction between users. because it is located in one of the higher point of the city, and because it has floor-to-ceiling windows, all apartments have views of the street and the nearby neighborhood, but also of the distant rio negro, symbol of the amazon. in short, the vila santa thereza building tries to present conditions of passive sustainability and identical spatial qualities for all units in order to achieve social equality.

project info: 

name: manga – vila santa thereza
architecture office: laurent troost architectures
SD phase team: laurent troost, diogo lazari, raquel brasil dos reis
CD phase team: laurent troost, raquel brasil dos reis
structure: thais nina
MEP: eng. harlen santos
landscape: laurent troost, hana eto gall
built area: 1.039m²