Contemporary design refers to the constantly evolving design trends of today. With the power to design our built environments, architects have been experimenting with various architectural approaches. Whether that is through unconventional forms or the integration of smart technologies, BluPrint lists down Filipino architects who are defining contemporary architecture. Deo Alam Architect Deo Alrashid Alam […]
Manguatá Building: Open Space in a Dense Environment
As modern urbanization focuses on efficiently maximizing compact spaces, today’s architects must also reconcile people’s need for open spaces. Designed by Terra e Tuma Arquitetos Associados, the Manguatá Building provides residents with a sense of openness even in a high-density area.
Located in São Paulo, Brazil, one of the world’s most densely populated urban areas, the four lead architects–Danilo Terra, Fernanda Sakano, Juliana Terra, and Pedro Tuma–aimed to create a building that positively impacts its surroundings. They call it “responsible densification,” designing a residential building that benefits not just tenants, but the neighborhood as whole.
The consciously-spacious design allows for an openness typically reserved for larger public spaces like parks. It functions as a green area and a small congregation site for residents and neighbors alike.
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Terraced Buildings
The complex features a ground floor with a retail area, six floors of residential units, and a communal roof deck on the top floor for residents. The exterior combines concrete, stone, and floor-to-ceiling windows, with terraces on all sides adorned with greenery.
The building has a lot of green spaces around and within it, from the terraces to multiple gardens. They built an expanded sidewalk to allow a more welcoming surrounding for the neighborhood. Beyond that, a dense garden and artistic murals were built to provide an enjoyable environment for visitors and neighbors.
The building’s rooftop leisure area provides a sweeping view of the city. This shared space encourages a sense of community, equipped with a pantry and laundry room, as well as a seating area and garden for informal gatherings.
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Open Apartments for Comfortable Surroundings
The Manguatá Building features twenty-two apartments, ranging between 46 and 84 square meters. All have floor-to-ceiling windows to ensure each unit is well-lit, well-ventilated, and connected to the outdoors.
Most of the apartments contain only one bedroom and bathroom, a small kitchen area, and a living room area for visitors. To accommodate other needs by the tenants, the building has a laundry room and pantry on the top floor next to the leisure area.
Manguatá Building crafts an aesthetically-welcoming home for city-dwelling tenants to enjoy. It’s crafted with community in mind with its integration of greenery and spacious areas not just for the tenants, but also for the neighborhood as a whole to enjoy. For dense urban dwellers, it gives them the necessary place for a restful, peaceful existence away from the congested noise of the city.
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Related reading: Menarco Tower leads the way with wellness-oriented design
In the Philippines, adaptive reuse gained traction during the 1970s with the rise of conservation and environmental preservation movements. It offered an architectural solution that reuses existing spaces to fit modern needs. Across the country, several projects demonstrate how this approach is being applied—transforming heritage structures into active spaces for culture, hospitality, and community life. […]
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From residential spaces to civic structures, lighting dictates the mood of a space. It controls the visual dynamics of an interior, serving as a guiding tool that highlights key design elements, including materials and textures. Related Reading: Lampscaping: How to Light up Your Home like a Pro Regulating the Mood: Natural and Artificial Light in […]
More and more Filipinos are flocking to condominium communities. Often tucked within busy city centers, condo living acts as a small respite from urban chaos. Faced with the challenge of transforming a cramped condominium into a warm living space, BluPrint lists condo interior design ideas that can maximize each square foot of small spaces. Purposeful […]
Modern bathrooms are no longer purely functional spaces. Increasingly, they are being designed as environments that support cleanliness, ease, and quiet restoration within the home. As daily life becomes more demanding and health awareness continues to rise, homeowners are beginning to expect more from the spaces where daily rituals begin and end. For architects and […]
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From the moment a diner steps through the door, each detail shapes how a meal is experienced. Restaurant design has evolved, with architects and culinary professionals collaborating to create built spaces that are as intentional as the menu itself. The spatial atmosphere acts as an additional ingredient that can define the culinary experience. Taupe and […]
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