a set of wooden restroom cabins peeks through the treetops of native forest in são francisco

wooden restroom cabins hover among trees in São Francisco

Brazil-based practice Luiza Jung Arquitetura 360 makes nature the protagonist for this set of restroom cabins in São Francisco. Occupying 115 sqm, the intervention is slightly elevated from the ground on wooden stilts in order to have the least possible impact on the environment and blend seamlessly with the surrounding native woodland.

Nestled at the heart of the forest, on a property of more than 20 hectares of the Hotel Parador Hampel, the project is assembled for the Casa da Mata event space to provide infrastructure to staff and guests. The property is the setting for the weekly gastronomic event ‘A Ferro e Fogo’. The resulting design unfolds around the trees, leading visitors through a zig-zag walkway to a circular platform that hosts the cabins.

all images by Gabriel Konrath

a dialogue with nature

The team at Luiza Jung Arquitetura 360 inserted a set of wooden restroom cabins into the scenic landscape of São Francisco. The starting point of the design was to respect the existing vegetation and introduce an architecture that harmoniously joins this picturesque scenery. To fulfill these ambitions, the architects opted for organic forms and natural materials with a profound understanding of the natural potential of the place.

The main scheme unwraps around a majestic araucaria tree, delimiting a suspended circular platform. Half its side houses the wooden cabins with sanitary units, and on the end of the semicircle are the washbasins that reflect the lush surroundings. The cabins were designed as four individual structures to facilitate layout distribution among the trees. Each is arranged in a trapezoidal shape that widens on the glazed side towards the forest, thus making the most of the views without compromising privacy. To enter the intervention site, walkways enter the forest and take the user to the circular platform.

The site doesn’t have limited built coverage; however, the architects sought to make architecture an integral part of nature, presenting a living space that transforms over time.‘ The passage of hours is perceived by the play of light and shadow in the volumes, as well as the passage of days is evidenced in the textures and colors of the materials adopted. This space is an invitation to reconnect — an invitation to rethink the relationship between being, nature, and architecture,’ shares the team.