Restoration Using Simple Regional Techniques Enhances Local Culture

This article is part of our series “Material in Focus“, where we ask architects to share with us their creative process through the choice of materials that define important parts of the construction of their buildings.

Alagoas House used neutral colors and furnishings in order to let local craftsmanship stand out. Some of the strategies that guided the projects included using works by regional artists and decorating with repurposed everyday objects. We spoke with architect João Duayer of Tavares Duayer Arquitetura to learn more about the choice of materials and the determining role that they played in his concept for this project.

What were the main materials you used for this project?

JD: Ceramic brick, wood, and ceramic tile.

What were your main sources of inspiration and influence when you were choosing the materials used in the project?

JD: The Brazilian Northeastern regional architecture.

Describe how decisions on materials influenced the design of the project.

JD: It was difficult to access the site and the length of time allotted to the project was very short. One of the prerequisites was to use building materials that were cheap and common to Brazil. The time for this renovation was 15 days.

What were the advantages that this material offered for the construction of the project?

JD: Agility and familiarity between the workers and the material.

Did you ever consider the possibility of other materials for the project? If so, how would that have changed the project?

JD: Yes, but we needed to make adjustments to meet the deadline.

How did you research suppliers and builders appropriate for the materials you used in the project?

JD: (We used) local suppliers, from the Northeastern interior of Brazil.

Alagoas House / Tavares Duayer Arquitetura

Completed in 2016 in Olho d’Água do Casado, Brazil. Images by João Duayer & Nathalie Ventura. The scenery is the backwoods of Alagoas, Brazil, a place so atypical of great beauty and simplicity. It helped us understand that the kickoff should…