FGMF has completed Ibira Work in São Paulo, an office building located just a short walk from Ibirapuera Park. This project transforms the privileged location into an integral part of its architecture by incorporating contact with nature, outdoor living, natural ventilation, and multiple ways of occupying space throughout the day as fundamental components of the workplace experience.
FGMF's Ibira Work project blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors on a compact 1,000 square meter site. The architectural firm took advantage of changes in elevation to create a sequence of interconnected outdoor spaces, with arrival via an elevated walkway that passes through the tree canopy and leads directly to the building's central core. The steel structure defines much of the building's architectural identity, enabling long spans and flexible office layouts while serving as support for environmental strategies including metal sunshades, suspended planters, and pergolas that provide solar protection.
Image Credit: Fran Parente
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Biophilic Workplaces
- Plant-filled offices and outdoor work zones signal demand for commercial environments that improve wellbeing while differentiating premium workplace experiences.
- Indoor-outdoor Architecture
- Buildings that dissolve boundaries between enclosed interiors and open-air spaces create new models for climate-responsive offices with flexible daily use.
- Adaptive Steel Structures
- Long-span steel frameworks enable reconfigurable layouts while supporting integrated shading, greenery, and passive environmental systems.
Where This Applies
- Commercial Real Estate
- Nature-integrated office assets introduce competitive leasing advantages as tenants seek healthier, more flexible alternatives to conventional towers.
- Architecture and Design
- Compact urban sites are becoming testbeds for layered outdoor circulation, planted facades, and hybrid workplace typologies.
- Green Building Materials
- Demand for sunshades, pergolas, planters, and structural systems expands opportunities for products that combine aesthetics with environmental performance.
