Dynamism of the facade

Refuge for intellectuals and bohemians, the neighborhood of Botafogo, in Rio de Janeiro's Zona Sul, has been undergoing a process of urban revitalization and vertical growth in recent years, mixing new residential complexes with historic buildings and modest dwellings of early 20th century. This diversity makes the area a perfect place to receive individualized, nontraditional housing constructions, such as 'Sorocaba 112' building.For this area, Cite Arquitetura created a conceptual proposal for facades and interiors, aiming to establish a dialogue with the cultural worth of the district.The external wall at ground floor level is composed of glass and horizontal sunshades in corten steel. This transparency establishes a transition between the building and the sidewalk, visually merging the entrance hall and the public space. Moreover, the color and the texture of the sunshades emphasize the lightness of the white body of the building.The building is composed of 12 apartments, three per floor. Each apartment has three bedrooms, arranged in different plan layouts, and units´ area varies from 95 to 120 square meters, with a balcony of 15 square meters.The facade reveals the uniqueness of each dwelling through the dynamism of the shading system. Each balcony has a set of screen shades, whose occasional position modifies the facade look while modulating the sun incidence, according to each apartment needs. This way, the look of the whole facade constantly changes, being the result of individual actions.Bicycles can be borrowed in the garage for going around the neighborhood and further away to enjoy the city sights and promote ecological transport.