Architecture firm messina | rivas has demonstrated how legal restrictions and environmental constraints can become catalysts for creative design solutions through four remarkable adaptive projects completed on a farm in Cunha, São Paulo, Brazil. The municipality of Cunha, renowned for its rolling inland landscape and nationally celebrated ceramic production, has served as the testing ground for innovative approaches that seamlessly integrate design and construction methodologies.
The collaboration between the firm and the rural site began in 2017 when architects Francisco Rivas and Rodrigo Messina undertook a modest renovation of a guest house intended for hosting friends. This initial project transformed two existing bedrooms into complete suites while adding an external kitchen facility. The success of this intervention sparked a series of additional projects as evolving needs and the challenge of adapting existing structures drove the development of four distinct yet interconnected buildings across the same property.
Environmental regulations played a crucial role in shaping the design approach for all four projects. The presence of a creek running through the property imposed a 30-meter Permanent Preservation Area strip, as mandated by Brazilian Forest Code legislation, which effectively prohibited new construction within that designated zone. This legal constraint forced the architects to work exclusively with pre-existing structures, ultimately demonstrating innovative methods for addressing growing spatial demands without resorting to new construction from the ground up.
The Nica House project, completed in 2018, exemplifies the firm's adaptive methodology. Deteriorating walls plagued by infiltration issues necessitated a comprehensive solution that involved enveloping the existing structure with an entirely new masonry layer. The architects demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness by salvaging and reusing bricks from the demolished sections to reconfigure internal partitions. The new spatial arrangement adopted the Paraguayan typological pattern known as Culata Jovai, which eliminates corridor space by positioning bedrooms at opposite ends with a central living area, resulting in significantly more efficient spatial distribution. The salvaged bricks were deliberately left exposed in the interior divisions, preserving traces of paint from their previous application as visual testimony to the building's evolution.
Concurrent with the Nica House construction, the Laundry Room project emerged as a direct response to the spatial reorganization. As the floor plan modifications in Nica House eliminated the internal laundry facilities, this function was relocated to an external structure positioned where a vegetable garden had previously existed. The project maintained the original volumetric parameters to comply with local building regulations, following the same approach implemented in Nica House. While the foundation of the preceding structure was preserved, portions of the new construction were elevated above ground level as a strategic measure to prevent moisture accumulation and animal intrusion. This project marked the beginning of collaboration with Burrico, a local potter with decades of experience in handcrafting clay bricks specific to the Cunha region. These artisanal bricks form the structural walls and feature distinctive weave-pattern sections that provide essential ventilation for the clothes-drying function.
The Chicken Coop Studio and Main House projects share similar chronological and material relationships. Initially, a pre-existing chicken coop structure near the creek was identified by the clients as a potential location for transforming into the main residence, which had previously occupied one of the buildings now designated for guest accommodation. However, environmental legislation required that the new studio be constructed at a distance that respected legally mandated setback requirements, leading to an innovative material sourcing opportunity.
The architects report that upon their arrival at the site, environmental agencies were actively removing eucalyptus trees that posed falling risks to nearby residential properties. Given the abundance of specialists in eucalyptus processing within the region, this potentially problematic situation was transformed into a valuable resource opportunity. The most robust wood sections, sourced from the central portions of the eucalyptus trunks, were allocated for the structural framework of the Main House, while the thinner pieces from the perimeter areas of the logs were utilized for the Chicken Coop Studio construction.
The architectural firm's comprehensive approach to understanding and fully engaging with site-specific challenges, rather than maintaining distance from them, enabled the development of new collaborative relationships and opportunities to explore diverse construction techniques with local craftspeople. Potter Burrico contributed his expertise to both the Nica House and Laundry Room projects, while wood specialist Leco provided technical knowledge for the Chicken Coop Studio and Main House construction. The Main House represented the most complex convergence of techniques and resources, incorporating additional collaboration with builder Carlinhos, whose expertise encompassed both rammed earth (taipa) and wood construction, as well as potter Zé Taubinha. This multi-disciplinary collaboration is evident in the building's diverse constructive elements, including Dutch-style wooden doors, rammed earth kitchen countertops, wooden roof structural systems, and traditional masonry walls.
The four projects collectively address various forms of pre-existence, encompassing both tangible elements such as material resources, architectural volumes, constructive components, structural systems, and foundations, as well as intangible aspects including existing uses, local labor traditions, and regional building techniques. Designing based on pre-existing conditions requires comprehensive understanding of the logic and dynamics within which these elements were originally embedded, enabling their re-signification through new architectural interventions.
While numerous factors unite these projects—including shared clientele and common site location—each maintains distinct characteristics in terms of materials and techniques employed, collectively contributing to an operational mode guided by place-specific considerations. Strategies emphasizing resource efficiency and the adoption of local materials and traditional techniques demonstrate that building less does not equate to abandoning construction entirely, but rather constructing with intentionality and contextual sensitivity.
The concept of "Projetar pelo meio," which translates as "Designing by the Midst" or "Designing through Context," represents a fundamental principle articulated in previous interviews with the firm and proves particularly significant for understanding their comprehensive practice extending beyond the Cunha farm projects. In Portuguese, the word "meio" carries multiple meanings that make it especially relevant for understanding this design approach. "Meio" can signify "half," indicating action upon something already initiated or being "halfway" to completion, but it can also mean "context" or "surrounding environment," as evidenced in the term "meio ambiente" (environment).
In the first interpretation, there exists a concept of continuity marked by temporal dimensions, while the second suggests designing with consideration for surrounding conditions, where spatial dimensions predominate, though not exclusively, as context can also be symbolic. At the Cunha farm, this approach meant designing based on environmental legislation, client requirements, and local materials, techniques, and professional expertise. Additionally, "meio" carries another highly relevant meaning as "manner," "mode," "procedure," or "method"—the means to achieve specific objectives. In this context, "Designing by the meio" can be interpreted as self-referential learning through direct experience, a particularly meaningful interpretation when considering the Cunha farm experience, where it became possible to address diverse demands, materials, and techniques while developing shared methodological approaches. The firm learns from this design methodology and applies it as a conscious, sensitive method across their broader project portfolio.
