Cities are changing, and new residential developments too. Contemporary residential architecture has shown a lot of innovation. With creativity and new, more efficient and technological resources for construction, these buildings appear in the city as articulators, allowing contemporary uses of space and enabling a more current and dynamic way of living.
How are these innovative homes?
The new residential buildings present themselves in the city in light and permeable way. Often with a minimalist trend, they have a simpler character and, at the same time, are dynamic and current.
Based on the desire for structural and constructive honesty, they are often buildings without cladding layers. Instead of hiding how they are made, the idea is to make visible its slabs and structural pillars or its metallic structure.
The use of industrialized materials and components, often used as brises, which are elements to protect environments from the sun, makes these buildings more active and dynamic. Colors appear very often in these elements, giving the city a youthful and fun look.
More than just residential buildings, these projects are true articulators in the place where they are located. The return to the use of the active façade, enabling a relationship with the city and a public life on the ground floor, results in a great opportunity to create more active streets and, therefore, more pleasant and safer.
How are they made?
At first glance, they may just look like buildings whose facades are unusual, but it goes far beyond that. Understanding the facade as something resulting from a system, these buildings present us with a new way of building residential buildings. Through the rationalization of the work, which starts from a more technological and less artisanal construction method, using machinery and prefabricated elements, the construction becomes cleaner, faster and more efficient.
The concern with sustainability is another element present in these new residential projects. Achieving thermal comfort without the need for air conditioning is something very desired, and achieved through an honest construction, with spaces with adequate dimensions, airy environments, and breezes, for example.
The reuse of rainwater, to supply the building itself or water the garden, is also something that has been done a lot.
Vertical gardens often become the main element in the facades of these projects, as in the case of Seed Vila Olímpia, which also has a unique botanical project.
New spaces for new ways of living
The contemporary way of life is different from a few years ago. New ways of living call for innovation in residential spaces, which these projects have been doing with great success.
The constructive efficiency allows free plants, which allow for the flexibility of spaces. In the same area of an apartment, for example, there can be 1, 2, 3 bedrooms, a closed or open kitchen, among other variables. The Cotoxó building is a great example of this, as it presents a floor plan with a wide variety of spatial possibilities.
This flexibility in spaces results in freer and more dynamic facades.
In addition to changes in the interior space of the apartments, new developments also appear in the common areas of the buildings, with more spaces for residents and, often, neighbors to live with. Coworking, squares, cafes, and shops are some examples.
Where are they?
We can see these new developments in the territory of many cities today. In São Paulo, for example, they are present in several neighborhoods of different sizes and personalities.
Forma Itaim Building.
In the Itaim Bibi neighborhood, for example, there is the Forma Itaim project. Designed by the Spanish architecture firm b720, headed by the architect Fermín Vázquez, it has a unique and up-to-date design. With strong references to contemporary Spanish architecture, the use of color appears on the facades from the coating, seeking chromatic individualization on each floor of the building.
Nomad Building.
In Moema there is the Nomad, whose architecture was designed by the renowned Angelo Bucci, from the SPBR office, and the interiors by the young SuperLimão team. The solar protection panels appear as the main elements of the façade: metallic, in shades of gray and blue, they give movement and certain randomness to the face of the building.
With unique architecture, also a project by the SPBR office, and interiors by Yoo Studio, the Float by Yoo project is located in the Vila Olímpia neighborhood. With an exposed concrete structure, irregularly shaped slabs supported by slender pillars and planes, the building is an event in the city.
Vila Madalena is the neighborhood of São Paulo where you can find many examples of this type of residential development. The Spot 393, for example, brings together many of the elements discussed above. The high mixed-use tower changes along its length, revealing common areas on several levels of the building.
Building Fidalga 772.
The architecture firm Andrade Morettin is the author of some very unique buildings in Vila Madalena, which stand out for their contemporary architecture, made with few elements, apparent structure and lots of dynamism. The Fidalga 772 building, for example, built with a concrete structure, offers freedom in the use of internal spaces, which is revealed on the façade, where you can observe the free alternation between the glass panels and the wooden panels. This game gives the building a certain lightness that dialogues with the relaxation of Vila Madalena.
Materiality, colors and personality can vary, but the common language of these new residential developments draws attention and certainly has a lot to attribute to today’s cities.