Bear's Den

Colorado Brewery opened Toca do Urso in its hometown of Ribeirão Preto (SP), a space that simulates a cave to receive visitors. Designed by Superlimão, the great difference in this project is the use of several vernacular and passive techniques to create a pleasant microclimate in an extremely hot and poorly ventilated region, without enclosing the environment and without relying on active conditioning techniques. Located in front of the Brewery's factory, the old parking lot was replaced by Toca do Urso. The aim was to take advantage of what already existed in the surrounding area, such as the canopy of two large trees that shade the area for much of the day. The large circular hall was buried 1.5 m deep and the earth removed from the ground was relocated, creating a 3 m slope around the central hall, creating a large thermal inertia barrier like in caves. The circular wing-shaped roof with skylight optimizes natural circulation and captures wind from any direction, like 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 grates in the floor that connect these channels so that the air is renewed and humidified, naturally lowering the temperature, as in ancient medieval castles. The sum of these measures helped to reduce the internal temperature by about 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). In addition, native trees were planted in the surrounding area with the purpose of lowering the temperature around the project and reducing the heat bubble. The circular shape of the hall at Toca do Urso is made up of gabion walls, which have excellent absorption and ensure thermal comfort inside the hall, even when it is full, with more than 150 people. In addition, the angle of the roof helps to reflect the sound and direct it to the external area – like a reflective plate – which not only reduces internal noise, but evenly distributes the sound of the bands performing. Semi-buried and surrounded by vegetation, the shape also helps block noise from the highway near the factory entrance. The project has no enclosures, so that it is always possible to see the garden and the sky from any point in the space. The balance between natural and artificial light is achieved through skylights and light trays. There is a high level of natural lighting and, at the same time, radiation blocking that helps to reduce the internal temperature. The environment is open, so that the air is renewed through cross ventilation or convection. A reflecting pool and flooded underground ducts help to humidify, filter the air and reduce the temperature. Large and free of walls, except in the bathroom and kitchen areas, the project can be used in countless ways – the infrastructure was planned in the garden for future uses or expansions. In addition to the bioclimatic resources already described, from a structural point of view, Toca do Urso stands out for its shape. Because it is circular, it allowed the soil of the slope to be supported through the combined use of prefabricated concrete staves (normally used for channeling streams) and gabion walls, replacing large structures and valuing low-cost techniques that avoid waste and value local labor and raw materials. The lightweight PU sandwich tile roof allowed for a lightweight structure made with glued sheet beams, which helped to reduce the depth of the foundations. The annexes were built by reusing containers and even a municipal bus that circulated in the region. As a whole, the project sought to create an environment that optimized natural resources (natural ventilation, light tray, wind collectors, natural humidification, water capture and reuse, permeable floors) and also combat waste and reuse of materials. The brick walls were laid using part of the sand inherent in the beer filtration process. Several items were reused, such as the barrels that serve as the hall's air conditioning "ducts", not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their large load-bearing capacity, which allowed a hole to be drilled into the gabion without destabilizing it. Most of the materials were purchased within a radius of no more than 20 km from the construction site. The garden is made up of native species, many of which are fruit-bearing and will be used in the production of beers. A highlight is the kids' area, made up of a maze-shaped vegetable garden where children can play and learn in contact with nature.