Toca do Urso Bar

Cervejaria Colorado opened the Bear's Den in its hometown of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, a space that simulates a cave to welcome visitors. Designed by Superlimão, the project's distinguishing feature is the use of various vernacular and passive techniques to create a pleasant microclimate in an extremely hot and poorly ventilated region, without enclosing the space or relying on active air conditioning. Located in front of the brewery's factory, the former parking lot was cleared to make way for the Bear's Den. The project sought to take advantage of existing surroundings, such as the canopy of two large trees that shade the area for much of the day. The large circular hall was sunk 1.5 meters below the ground, and the earth removed from the ground was relocated, creating a 3-meter slope around the central hall, creating a large thermal inertia barrier, similar to a cave. The circular, wing-shaped roof with a skylight optimizes natural circulation and captures wind from any direction, similar to wind catchers common in Islamic buildings. A reflecting pool and a set of channels were built in the center of the hall. All ventilation and air conditioning return through floor grates that connect these channels, allowing the air to be renewed and humidified, naturally lowering the temperature, much like in ancient medieval castles. The combination of these measures helped reduce the internal temperature by approximately 15 degrees compared to the external area, without the need for air conditioning (which is included in the project, but is only used in extreme heat). Furthermore, native trees were planted around the area to lower the temperature around the project and reduce the heat bubble. The circular shape of the Toca do Urso hall is made of gabion walls, which offer excellent absorption and ensure thermal comfort inside the hall, even when it is packed with over 150 people. Furthermore, the roof's angle helps reflect sound and direct it toward the outside—like a reflective panel—which not only reduces internal noise but also evenly distributes the sound of the bands performing. Semi-underground and surrounded by vegetation, the structure also helps block noise from the highway near the factory entrance. The project has no enclosures, so the garden and sky are always visible from any point in the space. A balance between natural and artificial light is achieved through skylights and light trays. There is a high level of natural light while simultaneously blocking radiation, which helps lower the internal temperature. The space is open, allowing air to be renewed through cross-ventilation or convection. A reflecting pool and flooded underground ducts help humidify, filter the air, and reduce the temperature. Spacious and free of walls, except for the bathroom and kitchen areas, the project can be utilized in countless ways – infrastructure was planned in the garden for future uses or expansions. In addition to the bioclimatic features already described, structurally, Toca do Urso stands out for its shape. Because it's circular, it allowed the slope's soil to be supported through the combined use of prefabricated concrete slabs (typically used for channeling streams) and gabion walls, replacing large structures and leveraging low-cost techniques that avoid waste and enhance the use of local labor and raw materials. The lightweight PU sandwich tile roof allowed for a lightweight structure made of glued laminate beams, which helped reduce the depth of the foundations. The annexes were built by reusing shipping containers and even a municipal bus that used to operate in the area. Overall, the project sought to create an environment that optimized natural resources (natural ventilation, light traps, wind traps, natural humidification, water collection and reuse, and permeable flooring) while also combating waste and reusing materials. The brick walls were laid using some of the sand inherent in the beer filtration process. Several items were repurposed, such as the barrels that serve as the hall's air conditioning "ducts," not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their shape's high load-bearing capacity, which allowed a hole to be drilled into the gabion without destabilizing it. Most of the materials were purchased within a maximum 20km radius of the construction site. The garden features native species, many of which are fruit-bearing, and will be used in beer production. A highlight is the kids' area, consisting of a maze-like vegetable garden where children can play and learn in contact with nature.