Italian studio Mixtura has created a convent in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil with a number of buildings organized round open-air cloisters wrapped in a picket brise soleil.

Mixtura, a studio primarily based in Rome, Italy, accomplished the 5,300-square metre Convent of the Franciscan Fraternity of Bethany (FFB Convent) in 2022.

Situated within the São Cristóvão neighborhood of Salvador de Bahia, the convent serves as a secure assembly place for a big group in one of the harmful areas of Salvador de Bahia.

The convent was designed to replicate the combo of Western and African cultural influences within the space and the hospitality of Franciscan and Marian follow, the studio mentioned.

“We reinterpreted the classical introverted conventual typology, multiplying the variety of cloisters and scaling down the buildings to permit the wind, which continually blows from the east, to achieve all of the buildings and open areas,” the studio mentioned.

Greater than ten particular person kinds, every holding its personal program, are organized round 5 inexperienced cloisters and related by three massive roof techniques.

“Every constructing maintains its personal architectural identification, obtained by way of the declination of the picket component, which generally has a bioclimatic perform, generally it’s a construction and cladding,” the studio mentioned.

The central house is a picket church, constructed with a three-dimensional truss beam that creates a cross kind on the again wall.

The partitions are manufactured from pivoting and sliding brise soleil panels that enable the sanctuary to open to a lined sq. on the entry and improve the church’s capability.

A refectory is situated on the southwest nook of the complicated and is related to the church by a multi-angled truss roof, which capabilities “like a sombrero.”

“It’s a permeable constructing, lined by a roof supported by six Corten metal pillars that make it unbiased from the constructing envelope,” the studio defined. “The latter, like a protected enclosure, is made up of picket slatted components and pivoting panels on the bottom flooring.”

These components enable the occupants to open the house and management the constructing’s air circulation. The refectory incorporates a wrapping balcony that turns the house right into a theatre or live performance corridor for public occasions.

The northwest nook of the complicated incorporates the library, vestry and reception areas.

The library consists of 4 cumaru wooden pillars and wrapped in polycarbonate.

The translucent cladding permits the library’s contents to be illuminated at evening and makes the construction intentionally stand out from the remainder of the buildings – as does its separate roof system.

The vestry and reception corridor are characterised by a wooden and bolstered concrete hybrid construction, designed for safety and privateness. The masonry envelope turns to 4 full-height Corten and picket operable panels.

On the northeast nook of the plan lie the coaching rooms, chapter home, warehouses and workshop.

“All of the capabilities are housed in three distinct volumes manufactured from bolstered concrete and masonry, related by a single raised roof manufactured from picket reticular beams,” the workforce mentioned.

A big, three-story housing construction completes the southwest nook of the block. The prefabricated concrete construction is surrounded by a picket exoskeleton with exterior balconies and Venetian shading techniques.

From the skin, it seems to be one quantity, however it’s really 5 separate kinds with breezeways that open to a central courtyard.

The terrace degree incorporates a “cobogo” perimeter – a tropical constructing system that makes use of concrete components to guard from rain whereas permitting air to go by way of. The lodging constructing has rooftop photo voltaic panels.

Utilizing perforated screens to naturally ventilate buildings is a standard follow in Brazil. For instance, Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos wrapped a Curitiba home in a picket curtain and Gisele Borges Arquitectura added a perforated metallic façade to an condo constructing in Belo Horizonte.

The images is by Cesare Querci.

Mission credit:

Architect: Mixtura
Design workforce: Cesare Querci, Maria Grazia Prencipe, Guido Di Croce