Casa Campinarana: a sustainable construction in the middle of the Amazon

Laurent Troost had never heard of the city of Manaus when he first came to Brazil in 2006. What was just a leisure trip to visit his Brazilian wife's relatives ended up impressing him: “I had just finished a season I had spent in in Dubai, working for Rem Koolhaas . At that time, everyone was talking about Dubai as the fastest growing city in the world and there were many cranes and construction sites on the streets. When I came to Manaus, I also came across a large number of cranes, construction sites. It was something very different and where there seemed to be work and opportunities for architects,” he recalls. Two years later, the couple moved to Brazil and spent some time in the southeast region before settling in the capital of Amazonas. Since then, Laurent has carried out numerous projects and studies, based on the learnings and particularities of Brazilian architecture and the Amazon region, and also on the experience acquired during the eight years he served as director of urban planning for the city of Manaus. . “The first difference I felt in Brazil, which may even be a very obvious thing, is the difference between the northern and southern hemispheres. The sun here is in the north, especially in the São Paulo area. But when you work in Manaus , which “It is 3 degrees south of the equator, you have a sun that stays six months north and six months south. Which completely changes the perception, understanding and architectural concepts in relation to what I was used to in Europe”, scores. The geographical issue also influences the logistics of projects carried out in the region, since the area is more geographically isolated, which makes access to different types of materials difficult. “We always have the challenge of thinking about being sustainable in the way we work and use local elements or those that have a well-established logistics line, due to the proximity of the source of the materials”, explains the architect.

The Campinarana House

Combining this local expertise with the professional experience acquired in projects of various natures was essential for the design of Casa Campinarana – the name comes from the type of Amazon ecoregion characterized by small trees, with shallow, clayey soil. The project, designed by the firm led by Laurent Troost, in a gated community in Manaus, it began with a special request from the client: he didn't want any trees to be cut down . “The 20 x 40 m lot had trees in the back and front, with an open space in the middle. We then decided to build two floors in this center to offer the best facade to the rising and setting sun,” he explains. The elongated block receives more sunlight and houses functional rooms such as the laundry room, garage and pool, while the social and private areas occupy the transversal volume. The entire building is elevated on stilts, which makes the infrastructure on the ground accessible and eliminates the need for changes to the terrain's topography. , reducing the impact on nature. “The environmental issue is very present in my projects. Manaus has had several names in this area, such as Severiano Mario Porto , who, since the 1980s, has been doing well-structured things in this architecture that today is called biophilia , sustainable, eco, green. ... There are several nomenclatures. This was at the same time as Lelé [ João Filgueiras Lima ]. I also follow Roberto Moita 's work a lot”, he lists.

Sustainable roof

The roof of the main transversal volume is almost a project in itself: reinterpreting colonial models in a contemporary way, it is composed of eight slopes on two separate levels, which allows the winds to flow through and creates an air cushion, protecting comfort. upper floor thermal insulation. It was assembled independently of the house, which allows the roof to expand according to the temperature and sunlight without compromising any structure. Its reduced width was planned to guarantee cross ventilation in all rooms. On the sides, two inverted parapets (which function almost like “folded” eaves) protect the house from the equatorial sun and also provide privacy, since the building has no walls or fences. Both the top and the inside of the roof were covered with corten , a low-maintenance steel that weathers over time, creating a protective layer. Between these two layers is a thermal insulator. The choice of material was also influenced by by local skilled labor: the office hired a professional who works in the shipyards of Manaus to assemble the structure. And the red color alludes to the clayey soil of the Amazon. Along the length, there are gutters that end in downpipes at the four corners of the roof: rainwater is collected and stored in an underground cistern . At the client's suggestion, a different system was created to reuse this water: the liquid is pumped back to the roof, where, in contact with the hot steel, it cools the material.

Architecture in Brazil

Campinarana has won architecture awards worldwide, such as the “ DEZEEN AWARD 2019 ” and the “ Metal Architecture Design Award 2019 ”. However, working in Brazil is far from an easy task for Laurent. “The most challenging adaptation is designing with scarce resources and in a country where, despite having a strong architectural identity, contracts are smaller in financial terms. This has an impact on how you have to organize your work and also influences how you should see opportunities to propose projects that are economically viable to build”, he analyzes. Part of this challenge was met in the public sector: for eight years, Laurent served as director of urban planning for the city of Manaus and, in addition to his routine duties in processes and licensing, he also developed and implemented several urban projects. “We were able to approve plans urban projects that can have a very positive impact on the future of the city. It is something very difficult to do in the public sector and I hope that future administrations will continue it”, he explains. One of the most important projects was the requalification project of the historic center of Manaus . “The central areas, which were not very strong in Brazil, in terms of liveliness and urbanity, are the first to suffer with this health crisis. We see the historic centers even more empty. But I have no doubt that this It is a phase and that, in the future, we will take advantage of these central infrastructures and revitalize them. It is a matter of time. I am very confident and hopeful”, he predicts. Despite having left his position at the end of last year, Laurent continues his efforts: today, he works with the World Bank as a consultant on urban and Amazonian issues. “I hope to bring more resources and more strength to the Amazon,” he concludes. [newsletter]