Sede IAB + CAU

The proposal aims to reflect the desired relationship between the two institutions, the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil (IAB) and the Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (CAU), with the city. Axiality is used as a compositional tool to define an extensive esplanade, a public promenade that traverses the plot from east to west, imparting urbanity to the ensemble.

A civic square is formed by the presence of both institutions, which have a significant part of their programs distributed independently in two separate two-story buildings, affirming their autonomy. These projections rest on the ground, crossing the promenade without interrupting it, reaffirming the intention of a fluid path similar to those found in the city, like the spaces provided by the superblocks.

Arrival and departure moments occur on the ground floor, which also serves as a place of permanence, forming the upper plaza of the project. From this space, users can access the institutions by passing through a control area to reach the upper floors or proceed directly to the basement, where a large covered lower plaza is located. This plaza connects the cultural space of the IAB and the council of the CAU, whose public nature is emphasized by more open access. The auditorium opens towards the back of the plot, eventually linking to the esplanade that follows the site’s topography from the highest point.