With 1,280 m², the "O Avesso do Chão" project combines Cerrado vegetation, adapted species, and material reuse solutions
Submitted at Sep 17, 2026, 10:00 AM
Estúdio Solo - O Avesso do Chão. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2026. (Edgard César/CASACOR)
At CASACOR Brasília 2026, Estúdio Solo, led by Bárbara Oliveira Queiroz and Gabriel Domingues de Souza, created O Avesso do Chão based on a premise directly linked to the territory: highlighting species adapted to the conditions of the Cerrado. Across its 1,280 sqm, the garden brings together native plants and others selected for their adaptability to the biome and their low water demand.
This choice stems from an important principle of native landscaping: a plant being Brazilian does not mean it is naturally found (or suitable!) in all of the country's biomes. Species from other regions may have different climate and soil needs and, in some cases, may become invasive. Prioritizing native plants or those well adapted to local conditions favors more resilient gardens and can reduce maintenance demands, in addition to contributing to the surrounding biodiversity.
O Avesso do Chão invites visitors to walk through a garden that reveals itself little by little, turning the stroll into an experience of discovery. Vegetation takes on a central role, alternating dense canopies and ground-cover species to create different perceptions of welcome and openness. As mentioned, the plant species chosen were selected based on their adaptability to the local biome: the Cerrado.
Estúdio Solo - O Avesso do Chão. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2026. (Edgard César/CASACOR)
"Our idea was to bring people into the present moment. We didn't want it to be a stroll that people took automatically. So we designed it in a way that visitors would discover the paths little by little. We believe the garden is much more interesting when it doesn't reveal itself all at once. We like to give little spoilers of the vegetation, you know?", Bárbara explains in an interview with CASACOR.
Gardens characteristic of the Cerrado are defined by the use of plants adapted to long periods of drought and acidic soils. Ornamental grasses appear in compositions with shrubs and flowering herbs. Many of these plants tend to change radically in color, appearance, flowering, and fruiting throughout the seasons – following the transformations faced by the biome.
Estúdio Solo - O Avesso do Chão. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2026. (Edgar César/CASACOR)
The Estúdio Solo duo emphasizes, however, that access to native Cerrado plants is still scarce today. "Unfortunately, our market is still very small. These are plants with a particularity in production and that don't yet have high demand, so the supply is also weak," Gabriel mentions.
Estúdio Solo - O Avesso do Chão. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2026. (Edgar César/CASACOR)
One piece of advice from the landscape designers for composing healthy gardens in the Cerrado is not to choose plants based solely on appearance – but to understand how they adapt to the climate. Gabriel adds: "You can work with plants native to Brazil, but that are invasive in our biome and that will compete aggressively with our plants".
The landscape designers used several species in the garden's composition, both native and adapted to the conditions of the Cerrado. The highlights originating from the biome are copaíba, vertical trees with wide canopies, gueroba, palms known for their heart of palm with a distinctive flavor, and orelha-de-onça, shrubs with purple leaves .
Orelha-de-onça (Jardim prático/CASACOR)
As for the exotic species — that is, those brought from other regions and introduced into the Cerrado with adaptation care by the landscapers — it is worth mentioning bridal veil, delicate-looking hanging herbaceous plants, Mexican petunia, hardy and rustic perennial herbaceous plants with extremely high resistance, silver rain, shrubs famous for their silvery foliage, and red justicia, tropical shrubs with large red bracts.
justiça-vermelha. (Flores para o seu jardim/CASACOR)
A highlight of O Avesso do Chão, beyond the choice of plants, is the floor made with demolition roof tiles. The materials were collected by the Estúdio Solo team from different construction sites, cut and interspersed with adobe. The result gives new meaning to the materials and values memory, texture and impermanence.
Estúdio Solo - O Avesso do Chão. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2026. (Edgar César/CASACOR)
"We saw a similar proposal during a trip to Japan and wanted to bring the concept of reuse into one of our projects. First, we suggested it to a client. She didn't like the idea — and today it's one of the most talked-about things at CASACOR! The show also helps to present unusual proposals and to introduce
According to a survey by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), Brazil recycles less than 25% of all construction waste — even though about 98% of these materials can be recycled. In this scenario, the alternative found by Gabriel and Bárbara at CASACOR Brasília 2026 presents a creative and, at the same time, sophisticated and beautiful solution to reduce the disposal of materials.
