Tropical Shed by TROOST + PESSOA Architects
Tropical Shed turns an archaeology office in Manaus, Brazil, into a working landscape shaped by shade, breezes, and dense planting. TROOST + PESSOA Architects organize the project around porticos, brick walls, and openings that pull light through the lot while keeping the interior airier than the street outside.
About Tropical Shed
To create a manifesto for the necessary rapprochement between urban life and nature, the archaeology office and leisure area are conceived as a sequence of porticos made of smooth rebar. These frames guide the growth of vines and define a double-height volume, while shading both the leisure area and the office.
The planting brings a tropical, airy, refreshing microclimate to the lot. Most of the species are PANCs, or non-conventional food plants, including skyvine, inchplant, wild ginger, arrowleaf elephant ear, and arrowroot.
Behind a hollowed-out facade of massive bricks, the leisure area catches the prevailing winds and reveals the depth of the lot only in part. A table with an integrated barbecue sits beside a shower, hammocks, and a small pool, so the area works for the neighboring house as well as for the office lounge at the rear.
At the back of the lot, the archaeology office occupies the central span with work and meeting tables. A solid brick wall snakes between the interior and exterior, shaping the gardens and technical areas at the sides; it opens in places for cross-ventilation and closes where privacy or structure is needed.
Part of the office rises to double height, bringing in more light and a greater sense of volume. Openings on both sides face the gardens and allow air to move through the rooms, keeping the plan open to the site without losing definition.
Photography courtesy of TROOST + PESSOA Architects
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