The expansion of Residence S involved the development of a new residential and support facility within an environmentally protected site in Rio de Janeiro. The existing complex comprised a historically significant 1950s residence and a chapel designed by architect Alcides da Rocha Miranda.
The design responds to the site's challenging topography, with steep slopes of up to 33% and a level difference of approximately 20 metres. Rather than treating these conditions as constraints, the project integrates them into the architectural concept, using the natural levels to establish separate access points and circulation for the residential and support sectors, ensuring the privacy required by the brief.
Careful consideration was given to the existing landscape, preserving mature vegetation and minimising the building's visual impact. Despite its substantial scale, the new intervention maintains a discreet presence within the natural surroundings, creating a sensitive relationship between architecture, topography and landscape.
My Role: Contributed to the architectural design development, exploring spatial organisation, circulation, building integration and the relationship between the proposed expansion and its existing environmental and architectural context.
BISELLI KATCHBORIAN ARCHITECTSÂ
PHOTOS : Rafael Salim