BLOCO Arquitetos

BLOCO Arquitetos was founded in Brasília by Daniel Mangabeira (UnB, 1999), Henrique Coutinho (UnB, 1997) and Matheus Seco (UnB, 1999). Our team is made up of professionals with different experiences and diverse interests. Our office is based in the Morro Vermelho Building, in the center of Brasília, within the “Setor Comercial Sul”.

We believe that there is a long journey between the project and the built work. Therefore, the majority of projects presented in this space use photographs of completed works, which highlights the office’s extensive experience in implementing projects of different scales and programs, ranging from residences and buildings to interiors and temporary installations.

A significant part of the buildings built in Brasília between the 1960s and 1980s, outside the Monumental Axis, are among our main focuses of interest. This is what we call the city’s “everyday” architecture, characterized by creative solutions to the limitations faced by architects of the time, such as the search for rationality in construction, with an emphasis on agility and economy. Some of these works demonstrate a deep understanding of their context. Our objective is to develop a critical look at this valuable legacy, identifying strategies that are still relevant today or that can be adapted to face future challenges. Therefore, we affirm that BLOCO’s work is strongly influenced by modern Brazilian architecture, especially by the architecture of Brasília, the city where we live and work. We seek to think of our practice as a continuation of the construction tradition that marked the first years of the capital.