Architecture & Urbanism


The Sustainable Urban Module –
Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, 2002
(Proposal - Local partner: DDGarquitetura)

The harbour area in Rio de Janeiro, located next to the city centre, is losing its former function due to a transfer of the harbour activities to other places. The area behind the wharf is already very dilapidated, cut of from the water front by an elevated expressway. On the land side, the area is limited by a ridge dominated by slums.

As a preliminary study for an international workshop an urban project was developed for a selected area. In this study proposals were formulated to improve the indoor and outdoor quality of the neighbouring slum. Furthermore a new quarter development was elaborated – the Sustainable Urban Module - , suggesting a vivid mixture between traditional European city structures with short ways, a tropicalised environment for pedestrians and cyclists and a dispersed grid of high-rise structures, optimised for natural ventilation. Many sustainable technologies, methods and strategies were implemented. The result is an area with high density, intensive mixture of functions, low sealing of the urban soil and an urban structure focusing a high urban quality while reducing the environmental impact.