Bio Jardins

The coronavirus pandemic has caused profound changes in the real estate market, especially for corporate spaces. Adhesion to the home office and mass departure from large cities generated a vacancy of 50% in commercial buildings in São Paulo’s city. For Perkins&Will São Paulo architects, workspaces will not cease to exist, but will adapt to the changing companies and their employee’s needs. The global architecture and design studio created Bio Jardins to promote the best relationship between people, workspaces and urban spaces. The 60 meters high boutique building is smaller than the developments under construction in the surroundings – in Rebouças’ region -, but stands out for its façade, which brings together concrete, wood and vegetation in an outstanding design, different from the usual mirrored corporate buildings. The concrete slabs and the wooden brises refer to the brutalism and São Paulo’s traditional architecture of the 60s and 70s, with a polisher atmosphere. Biophilic design has been the main approach in this project that, in addition to wood, has abundant vegetation. “The idea was to connect the corporate environment to nature. We use balconies with medium-sized plants and wooden louvers to warm the room and create a welcoming, contemplative atmosphere,” explains Douglas Tolaine, the studio's Design Director. Besides the natural elements, the design stands out for its organic forms and for the variation in the position of the balconies on each floor, as well as the distance between the brises, which give dynamism to the façade. “We use the elements to improve the impression of verticalization and magnificence in a building that is not that big and doesn't even occupy a large area. Thus, we give the feeling of height in a tower built at the limit of its constructive constrains”, explains Douglas. Bio Jardins also brings biophilia indoors. The floors have exposed concrete pillars, wooden ceilings and vegetation for a pleasant experience of connection with nature, impacting the well-being and users’ performance. The tower also has three double-height floors, which enhance the views of Rebouças Avenue and the Jardins neighborhood. The connection with the city is encouraged by the façade on the ground floor - facing Rebouças Avenue and Chabad Street - with the possibility of integration with the surrounding buildings to create an active sidewalk. The initiative should bring more pedestrian movement to the region, providing safety during the entire day. “The revitalization that Rebouças has been undergoing aims to bring the sidewalks back to life. This ground floor is one of the best tools to recreate the movement and the connection between people and urban spaces, which has been lost for so long on this avenue”, says Douglas Tolaine.