
Studios Terra 240

Architects | Bruno Santa Cecília e Carlos Alberto Maciel |
Collaborators | Enara Paiva, Michelle Andrade e Fernanda Rabelo |
Location | Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil |
Area | 750 m² |
Project | 2006 |
Construction | 2007 - 2008 |
Photos | Eduardo Eckenfels, Bruno Santa Cecília |
In a complex topography and a problematic geological situation, this building occupies the descending slope of the site with a twostory free plan office that allows the definition of a pilotis in the street level. This allows the opening of the pilotis at the street level. In the upper volume, five duplex units allow flexible use – living and/or working space. The structure is mostly defined by the four V shaped pillars, a design strategy to reduce foundations. The superposition of two different types of structure – the concrete frame with flat slabs in the first three levels and the structural masonry of red brick in the two upper levels – defines the main formal attributes of the building regarding mass and void, openings and surfaces. The intentional absence of walls and fences highlights the open character of the pilotis, in an attempt to redefine the relationship between the building and the public realm.