Ícaro by Studio Arthur Casas: 2020 Best of Year Winner for Multiunit Residential

Although the term “neuro-architecture” is new to the field’s lexicon, the study of how the environment affects the brain is certainly endemic to the practice. It is also the guiding force behind this three-tower complex comprising 21 apartments overlooking a forest and golf course. “The character of the terrain was fundamental in conceiving the project,” notes studio founder Arthur Casas, a native Brazilian and an Interior Design Hall of Fame member. The concrete and glass structures were designed to maximize daylight while also ensuring residents’ privacy, with drones aiding in preliminary studies of sun, shadows, and views. Verdant vegetation provides the primary visual identity and boosts biophilia. Planters surround the buildings at ground level while bursts of greenery on the circulation balconies blur the distinction between inside and out. Common areas with generous glazing are surrounded by gardens. Key, too, is sustainability. Photo-voltaic panels top the towers, rain-water is reused for irrigation, and technologically advanced glass allows passage of sunlight without overheating the interiors. The girl from Ipanema would feel right at home.

Project Team: Arthur Casas; Gabriel Ranieri; Regiane Khristian; Cadu Villela; Ana Beatriz Braga; Natalia Minas; Marcelo Beretta; Beto Cabariti; Reginaldo Machado; Rodrigo Carvalho; Deborah Branca; Flávia Rocha; Raissa Furlan; Nara Teles; Raimundo Borges; Rafael Palombo; Victória Chaves; Camilla Dall’oca; Raul Cano; Lucas Takaoka; Henrique Zulian.

> See the full list of winners and honorees from Best of Year 2020