Workshop House

Project Description

Due to its particular usage requirements, the workshop house project was conceived to host a residence, a high-performance mechanical workshop and classrooms on a 260m² site located in the Pinheiros neighbourhood, São Paulo.
These usages were distributed on three levels in order to take advantage of functional and legal aspects: the ground floor, which hosts the mechanical workshop activities, revisions, repairs, washing and a dynamometer room for vehicle testing; the first floor, where the classrooms, study rooms and bathrooms are located; and the second floor, housing the residence.
All the activities are managed by just one resident who divides his daily schedule between the different spaces, each with particular characteristics. The combination of all of these generates a specific morphology resulting from the particular conditions at the origin of the project.
The inclined concrete slab plays a major role in the overall composition, as an element that can provide a variety of solutions. It constitutes the visual limit between the public and private spheres, while shielding the upper areas from noise pollution from the mechanical equipment on the ground floor. At the same time, it enhances natural ventilation and illumination for the workshop and classrooms, while facilitating the gathering of rain water for reuse.
The relationship between the building and the city is compelling, as the composition is set back from the borders of the site and therefore minimises its impact on this urban corner, opening up space for gatherings and urban encounters along the surrounding perimeter.