ArchDaily publishes project from Somatic Collaborative and Self-Sustaining Urban Development in Brazil

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Somatic Collaborative has unveiled its design for Neapolitan Housing and Co-working Complex, a new urban block typology located in Gravatai, Brazil, that contrasts the traditional landscape of repetitive housing types that dominate the urban peripheries of Latin American cities. Like a Neapolitan ice cream, the project’s buildings will be layered, housing a variety of residential units and co-working space.

In a drastic shift from typical low-rise residential enclaves, gates, and walled compounds, the project will create high-density urban blocks “that engage the street as a source of urban life” through porous borders that encourage new city centralities. A semi-porous perimeter block with retail and commercial space will allow the project to better interact with its surroundings while designating the distinction between public, semipublic, and private space through the buildings’ masses.

Taking advantage of the steep topography, a series of gardens and open spaces merge the perimeter envelope and the bar into a composite hybrid that makes up the block. A vehicular and pedestrian passageway cuts across the east - west axis of the project, flowing with the topography of the site. Parking is then hidden in the middle of the block. This central spine organizes a series of public, collective and private open spaces that adapt to the topography and minimize earth-work explained Felipe Correa, the lead designer for Somatic Collaborative in a press release. 

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