From Panama, the GEN Z Series travels to Piracicaba, a city in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Piracicaba has an interesting history. Piracicaba comes from the Tupi language, meaning ‘Place where the fish stops’. In Tupi language ‘pirá’+ ‘syk’ + ‘aba’ means ‘fish’ + ‘stop’ + ‘place’. The name is linked to the waterfalls of the Piracicaba River, which bisects the city, is a point where the ‘piracema’ — fish swimming upstream to reproduce are stopped. Piracicaba is also famous, because it homes the oldest agricultural university in Brazil, the Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture of the University of São Paulo. The university was founded in 1901. Piracicaba is popularly known by the nickname ‘Noiva da Colina’, which means ‘Bride of the Hill’.
At Piracicaba, we meet 2021 graduated Brazilian architect Paula Porto – an ambitious, creative and warm person. She is one of the three Co-Founders of A.trioArquitetura e Urbansimo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. She enthuses, “I grew up in a family that considers education as the biggest accomplishment in life. I am a third-generation graduate. My mother is an Architect and my father is a Mechanical Engineer. My grandparents are Lawyer and a Chemist. We all have a university degree, which is not very common in Brazil (smiles).”
Urban landscape of Piracicaba River
Paula Porto reveals, “I have trained in ballet since I was 9. I loved to paint landscape watercolors. I went to a Waldorf school from my early years to middle school, graduated early in High School in 2014. After that I lived in London to learn and practice English during three months before going to university. I graduated from UNIMEP – Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba in 2021. In the same year, we three friends established A.trioArquitetura e Urbansimo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil.”
Johnny D interacts with Paula Porto to explore her journey and graduation thesis ‘Contrasts in Landscape Production along the Piracicaba River and Urban Mobility as an Action to Democratize the Landscape’.
Ripple Bridge – Valley of the Sun
What was your childhood ambition? Did you always wanted to become an architect?
I grew up with my architect mother. Three of my family members are also architects. Literally, I grew up with architecture. I always wanted to be different in the family (smiles). I tried fashion and graphic design school before applying for Architecture. However, destiny took the reins and I ended up loving architecture, the disciplines and my current job.
How has architecture influenced your life as a student?
As a student, I learned to always look and think about the environment of the site we are interfering, to check the options that provide better utilization of local materials and techniques, in a way to reduce waste and take advantage of what the region offers to us, rather than bringing materials from far away.
Areas of intervention
Civil construction is a very pollutant industry in the whole world, but especially in southwest Brazil, where the most common construction system used is based on masonry, using soil bricks and a combo of iron and concrete. I am not saying those materials are bad, they have their merits, but the usual use of masonry in Brazil produces a lot of waste.
Briefly tell us about your University and the Course.
I graduated in 2021 from UNIMEP – Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba, which translates as Methodist University of Piracicaba. The Course – ‘Architecture and Urbanism’ explored a vast scenario of architecture, landscaping, urban planning and restoration around the world and specifically in Brazil. We had the opportunity to learn all these topics in general and to deepen our knowledge in some through research assisted by a professor.
Intervention – Proposal B
Briefly describe the significance of your project with the ‘Title of the Project and Site Location’.
My project, entitled ‘Contrasts in Landscape Production along the Piracicaba River and Urban Mobility as an Action to Democratize the Landscape’ explores experiencing the city during 2020, which was the focus of countless discussions and changes. Customs had to undergo adaptations and urban life changed with each new stage of control or lack of control of the public health.
Experiencing the city’s landscapes is related directly with these changes and adaptations. Confinement and Quarantine reduced the daily landscapes we used to see in moments of commuting and leisure due to the limitations of views provided by the home. Experiencing the landscapes of city was then focused on the panorama accessible by our windows and in the few necessary movements of market, pharmacy, etc.
Intervention – Proposal C
The banks of the Piracicaba River, a river that snails through the entire city and is the point of nativity and the heart of the city, became the safest option for leisure and encounters. But the faults in safe walkability around it caught the eye. The purpose of this work was to consider the construction of landscape and the connection between different regions and landscapes through urban mobility, proposing solutions that improve circulation in the city and at the same time have space to enjoy, observe and absorb all the landscapes that border the Piracicaba River.
I came to the conclusion that the bridges and the objects that unify the borders of the River were the points that needed improvement the most. The project features profile analysis and improvement suggestions to each one.
Urban Mobility along Piracicaba River
Which National or International architect has inspired / influenced you? Please specify as to why?
Women in architecture are usually a good influence on me. Lina Bo Bardi and Rosa Kliass, two important architects in the development of modern architecture and landscaping in Brazil are names that come to mind. The works they did were path-breaking, especially considering a time when sexism was much stronger in society. The level of detail in every design and the tenacity to break social barriers are what inspires me the most. Another example is my mother, whose lifework was dedicated to build a school (design and management of work teams), while raising three daughters.
Intervention – Proposal D
As an Intern, what is the most important lesson(s) you have learned from senior architects, while being a part of a project?
A reason for every choice that is made when designing a project and clear communication between designer and maker are the most important lessons I learned as an Intern and I carry with me during every project. During my internship, supervised by architect Thomas Burtscher, I participated in a project designing a gymnasium for a Waldorf Novalis School, the school I went to as a child.
Intervention – Proposal E
What role do you perform as an Architect at A TRIO Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Piracicaba in Brazil?
A.trioArquitetura e Urbansimo is an equal partnership between three young women – Giovana, Luiza and me. The three of us are architects. As a small business office, we do everything ourselves. We share all the work (design, financial, communication, etc.), responsibility and design ownership. We aim to bring to every design the use of sustainable solutions, using the BIM technology as an ally towards making smarter decisions with our clients and helping them understand our vision of the idea. Most of our projects, we designed having in mind the reuse or adaptation of furniture and materials in good conditions, for example for our clients.
Co-Founders of A.Trio
Hostile architecture is an eyesore and fast changing the urban landscape of prominent cities around the world. Architecture is meant to benefit the people / users at large, but the effects of hostile architecture are targeting people and depicting wickedness of the society and is against the ethos of architecture field. Elucidate your perspective about this unwanted trend in urban landscape.
Hostile architecture is a very pro-eminent part of Brazilian’s cities landscape, especially when it comes to big cities’ center. In my perspective, it should not even be called architecture, as its purpose is the opposite of what I believe architecture should be.
Architecture should be welcoming to people and cities should be made for people. Somehow during life, the purpose shifted to money, cars, etc., and the real users of the city, which are people, are ignored or purposely cast away when designing some spaces.
Types of Landscape alongside the River
Which significant aspects of the global platform ‘zerobeyond – the new frontier!’ did you liked the most, and why?
‘zerobeyond – the new frontier!’ is a breath of fresh air that values youth voices like it does! Architecture is a career that takes a long time for a person to establish their place, so most of platforms look for the ones with years of experience to feature in. But that does not mean that young professionals do not have knowledge to offer. And, as a young architect, I really liked to explore and get to know what other young architects are doing around the world.
Border of Piracicaba River
The time to save Planet Earth from climatic catastrophes / human greed crisis has already slipped away from humans’ hands. Elucidate your views how the future of your generation and coming generation are going to rise above the past generations to tackle this existential crisis?
We have come to a time, when we can no longer ignore this as a fact anymore. Civil construction is a very important source of waste and pollution and it has to change its course. I believe that my and the generations to come have to use the upcoming technology to improve the methods and materials of construction and renovation to reduce said waste. The idea of only adding more and more houses, buildings and cities, when we already have empty buildings abandoned in every town and city, is a mindset that has to radically change.
Intervention – Proposal F
Local charm of cities has diminished due to Modern Architecture as every city looks alike and similar. How should architects / urban planners / landscape architects modernize cities, while maintaining the local charm intact?
Architecture is form and material, but more than that, it is cultural, as architecture designs are the way of life. The design solutions vary depending on site, budget, but mostly, culture. In my point of view, we need to rescue the cultural aspect of every place and consider it as a guideline while designing.
Intervention – Proposal G
Looking at the past in the current present, what are the futuristic architectural changes you would like to see in your home city / town? Elucidate the reasons for your vision.
I would like to see better utilization of the city. Piracicaba’s downtown has been abandoned along the last twenty years as a result of real estate speculation that builds more and more, spreading the city to a large and inefficient perimeter. Another point to mention, the thesis I defend on the project I cited before, is a better preservation and renovation of the city woods, because it provides a better control of the temperature as well as places for leisure and admiration along the Piracicaba River while also assures its health.
Moment of Pride
Image Courtesy: Paula Porto