Paraupebas

In the summer of 2015, I traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to intern at Nanda Eskes Arquiteta, a small architecture firm. The main project they had me working on was a new public housing development in the small mining town of Parauapebas in northern Brazil. NEA was collaborating with 3 other architecture firms to put together a plan for the growing town, and I was tasked with designing the layout of one of the four blocks at the development site.

Using foam block studies for rapid iteration, I settled on a layout that allowed for a large amount of outdoor public space, including gathering spaces and a community garden, and fit under the tight budget constraints of the project. I selected a small handful of customizable unit designs, suitable for the family sizes expected in the project and allowing for a small balcony in every unit.