Brito Rodriguez | Interpretation Center

Hoy presentamos el estudio portugués Brito-Rodríguez, un despacho joven con base en Lisboa con muy interesante tanto por su forma de trabajar y como por el modo de  representación de sus proyectos. Tras el artículo incluimos una entrevista, ¡no os lo perdáis!

The proposed intervention seeks to maintain the character and identity of the existing buildings / plaza through a minimum intervention.

Inside, the space is intersected by a translucent volume that does not touch the perimeter walls, thus preserving their identity and historical value. The isolated volume has a different material expression, adding value and autonomy to the existing granite walls. A smooth surface emphasizes the silhouette and texture of the exterior plane while creating an interstitial space filled with overlapping reflections and deep shadows. An adjacent permeable volume permits a visual continuity with the landscape to receive the soft northern light. All resulting in a transversal relationship between the plaza, building and landscape.

5 QUESTIONS

1. HOW DID YOU MEET, WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

WITH TWO DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS SHARING A COMMON INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE, WE MET IN SPAIN WHILE WORKING AT THE OFFICE OF RCR ARQUITECTES. IN 2004, WE RELOCATED TO SAN FRANCISCO, USA, WHERE WE COLLABORATED AT SAGAN PIECHOTA ARCHITECTURE AND JIM JENNINGS ARCHITECTURE. WE INITIATED OUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN THE YEAR OF 2008 AFTER RECEIVING AWARDS FOR A COUPLE OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS, NAMELY THE SITE MUSEUM IN TULUM, MEXICO AND THE LODGE MUSEUM IN CHACHAPOYAS, PERU. ￿WE ARE NOW WORKING FROM LISBOA, PORTUGAL.

2. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR STUDIO?

WE COORDINATE A SMALL TEAM THAT VARIES IN SIZE RELATING TO THE SCALE AND COMPLEXITY OF EACH PROJECT. THE TEAM CONSISTS OF ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS AND WE CONSULT WITH BOTH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS.

3. HOW DO YOU USUALLY START A PROJECT?

AS A TEAM, WE BEGIN BY DEVELOPING AN AWARENESS OF THE PLACE. WE THEN FOCUS ON CONCEPTS THAT ARE INHERENT TO THE IDENTITY OF A SPACE WHILE INTERPRETING THE SPECIFIC CONTEXT AND CONDITIONS OF￿THE ENVIRONMENT. WITH A CONCEPTUAL VISION AND RIGOROUS APPROACH, OUR GOAL IS TO REACH AN INTEGRATED EXPRESSION BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE.

4. DO YOU WORK A LOT WITH PHYSICAL MODELS OR OTHER MEDIUMS?

THE PROJECT TOOLS VARY ACCORDING TO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH PROJECT. WE WORK WITH PHYSICAL MODELS FOR STUDYING THE NATURAL LIGHTING CONDITIONS AND THE COMPOSITION OF SPACES. IMAGE MANIPULATION IS ANOTHER MEDIUM WE USE TO TRANSMIT THE TEXTURES AND AMBIENCE FOUND WITHIN A GIVEN ENVIRONMENT.

5. WHAT KIND OF ARCHITECTURE OR PROJECTS ARE YOU INTERESTED IN?

OUR REFERENCES AND INSPIRATIONS ARE ENDLESS, BUT VARY FROM:  PRE-COLUMBIAN RUINS, THE EXPRESSION OF FORM AND ITS SERENITY, THE LIMITED USE OF MATERIALS AND ITS MONUMENTALITY.  LUIS BARRAGÁN, THE EXPRESSION OF SOLITUDE AND INTIMACY, THE USE OF LIGHT AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT IN THE COMPOSITION OF SPACE, THE INHERENT CLARITY AND SUBDUED SENSE OF ENCLOSURE WITHIN WALLS. RCR ARQUITECTES, THE SENSORIAL EXPERIENCES WITHIN SPACES, THE EMOTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND ITS PROXIMITY TO NATURE. DONALD JUDD, THE CONCEPT OF PROPORTION AND COMPOSITION, “THE SIMPLE EXPRESSION OF COMPLEX THOUGHT” BY DONALD JUDD.