If our proposal for the Brazilian Council of Architecture and Urbanism and IAB/DF Headquarters reminds you more of a large house than of a standard office building, do not be surprised – that is exactly our intention. We are certain that this is the most suited character for this building, after all, it is the one that best represents the relationship we, architects, will have with this building.
The program is organized around a large central courtyard, as well suggests the climate in central Brazil, which allows for natural illumination and ventilation to be available for all areas and establishes a desirable complicity between the different activities taking place in the building.We gave prominence to walkable routes (promenades) associated with slightly slanted planes as the main ways to access the public areas within the building.
Once the visitor takes one of the paths to which he or she is invited and goes through the proposed concatenation of spaces, long perspectives are revealed, allowing one to visually apprehend the dimensions of the design and the way it is arranged.
The handling of levels allowed good ceiling heights for both the plenary and the auditorium. The upper floor is reserved for the offices, which enjoy a quiet environment with great views over Brasília. By placing the all the offices on the top of the scheme, we have the opportunity to use both crossed and chimney-like natural ventilation as well as zenithal lightning, minimizing energy consumption and enhancing workers comfort, while also ensuring maximum integration and flexibility.
