Nova Jaguaré Slum – Sector 3 | Boldarini Arquitetura e Urbanismo

The intervention in the urban site named Sector 3 is part of the Nova Jaguaré Slum urbanization initiative coordinated by the Housing Department of the City of São Paulo. The Nova Jaguaré Slum is one of São Paulo’s oldest informal settlements; records indicate that the site’s first buildings were constructed in the early 1960s over a land that was destined to the construction of a green area. Considering its location and level of substandard housing, the area was targeted by several public intervention and proposal initiatives. The Sector 3 area, particularly, underwent two informal settlement processes, the second of which took place over containment construction sites implemented in the early 1990s, which ultimately compromised the infrastructure and created imminent landslide risks within the area. Our intervention proposal covers the planning of urbanization initiatives as a specific action to ensure the urban-environmental qualification of this community sector, under the goal of recovering the public status as a basic premise of the project’s concept in shifting the area’s paradigm, characterized by successive settlement and deconstruction processes, into a new condition of symbolic, attractive, and binding public settlement. The project was guided by the notion that interventions in critical city areas, regardless of their location, scale, and requirements, must ensure appropriate urbanization standards based on recognition and access to minimum housing conditions. The area transformation process, to ensure planned conditions, was initiated by demolishing buildings under risk conditions, which allowed the construction of geotechnical stabilization structures and the deployment of water drainage, sewage system, and water supply infrastructure systems. The project relied on a cross-functional team combining the definitions of urbanism with possibilities and restrictions placed by different engineering areas, constantly considering the insertion and connection to the remaining areas of the district, as well as previous buildings. One of the project’s key points is a circulation shaft connecting the upper and lower sections of the district, which exceed a downward gradient of 35 m, while also articulating different levels comprised of equipment and areas used for sports, leisure, and recreational activities. Such shaft is marked by a series of circulation devices, such as metallic staircases, ramps, and walkways, which playfully explore the path and allow pedestrians to enjoy the views of the Pinheiros River Valley, Pico do Jaraguá, and other backdrops within the area. Designed to house a computer central, the Community Center covers a concrete square-observatory, whose top level is accessed without stairs. Its location is strategic: in addition to being placed in the core of the intervention project and allowing create a concrete square on the slab, its walls are part of the slope containment structure. Secondary accesses were created to generate new paths and connections to surrounding Streets and Alleys, as well as allow access to public utility vehicles in the center of the square, which was previously obstructed by irregular settlements. Maurício Adnolfi’s murals are integrated to the urban intervention project, whose concept is to emphasize the square’s levels based on predominant colors, starting from yellow (reference to earth), passing through green in intermediate levels (reference to gardens), and finally arriving at blue (reference to the sky), providing art to the public space. TEAM Architecture and Landscaping: Boldarini Arquitetura e Urbanismo - Marcos Boldarini (architect in charge), Claus Bantel, Juliana Junko Pedroso de Melo, Lucas Nobre, Renato Bomfim, Ricardo Falcoski (authors); Oscar Bressane (landscape expert); Melissa Matsunaga, Cristiana Salomão, Larissa Reolon dos Santos, Sergio Faraulo (collaborators) Panels: Maurício Adnolfi Structure: Somatec Engenharia Drainage, Earthworks, Geotechnical Prospecting and Foundation: Geobrax Engenharia Facilities: Unika Projetos and Electrical Wiring / Terni Engenharia Public Lighting: Arruda Construction Management: Bureau-Pri Consortium Social Management: Diagonal Transformação de Territórios Work Execution: Schahin Engenharia