Participatory approach - The project answers questions of social inclusion

Since its conception, the development of the project has been linked to design decisions that corroborate the premise of least social and environmental impact. The use of mudbricks molded in loco where the raw material is the soil of the construction area and the workforce made up of workers from the industry, is an example of the concern to maintain the collective involvement between architects, engineers and future users of the factory in its construction process, in addition to consolidating a dialogue with its immediate surroundings. Architecture, therefore, tries not only to comply with programmatic but also economic issues. Through the knowledge linked to the construction of a sustainable building, it is possible to expand the community wisdom, a new possibility of work unfolds.

Social fund

The project is part of the riverside inhabitants decision to modernize their manufacturing plant, in order to guarantee better working conditions for those who benefit the Brazil nut in the region. These workers contribute for years to Natura, a Brazilian cosmetics company that, on the other hand, provided the necessary funds to the implementation of the project. The viability of it, therefore, permeates three transparent spheres, Natura (which links its production with social responsibility, returning to the partner community part of the profits generated from its workforce), the architects (who are accountable to the community, in view of their concern with the feasibility of the project) and the community itself (which works with the architects in the economic, legal and social spheres)

Flexibility and long-term adaptability

Through discussions with the community, we proposed an approach that contemplates different steps of implementation and also different construction techniques, considering that the money and knowledge invested in this new factory would be distributed locally as much as possible. The implementation strategy of the project consists of two parts. The first one is related to a light and efficient wooden structure with a prefab system made in loco, which takes into account the difficult access by boat. The second one is about autonomous volumes that delimit specific areas, guaranteeing watertightness and all the necessary conditions for the operation of each function.