Firm： Gisele Borges Arquitetura

Type： Residential › Multi Unit Housing

STATUS： Under Construction

SIZE： 10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

The Lourdes neighborhood is, not by chance, the most valued address in Belo Horizonte. Location of symbolic historic buildings, such as the government palace and the Legislative Assembly, restaurants and sophisticated shops, squares and leisure areas.

By some unknown reason, the lack of creativity and identity are the hallmark of most of the buildings, both old and new.

And, in this desert of creativity, we conceived CASAMIRADOR CATARINA, a different and unique building, with contemporary and authorial architecture, special coatings and a modern and flexible way of living.

The geometry of the lot was transformed into a unique volume, in this case, like stacked and misaligned boxes, generating overlapping and unusual effects of light and shadow.

A small – and yet imposing and striking – building, with 11 apartments, all of them different from each other, area ranging from 90,0 to 260,0 m2, 1, 2 or 3 floors, some with double high ceilings, terraces, solariums and different footage, large windows, technological materials and finishes, an intimate atmosphere and extraordinary environmental quality.

And, although the building's identity is marked by the overlapping of mismatched volumes, the intended image is not one of disorganization or lack of aesthetic rigor but, on the contrary, of great sophistication (without rigidity), of a solidity (but not monolithic), transparency and a certain lightness.

This image will be achieved by using a ventilated façade, covered by subtly perforated metal sheets, with uneven openings in some of the windows (while others are delicately hidden behind the metal sheets), in a metallic champagne tone that, like the drink that inspires it, will present itself with different shades and influenced by ambient light and the sun.

CASAMIRADOR CATARINA proves that luxury does not have to be ostentation, when there is sophistication and sensitivity.