An Architect's House in Curitiba: A manifesto project by Manoel Coelho

A manifesto project by Manoel Coelho

Abstract

The study object of this paper is architect Manoel Coelho’s (1940-2021) house in Curitiba, Brazil. The main objective is the historiographical documentation and descriptive analysis of the residence’s architectural design. Projected by the architect and built in 1980-81, it is located on an urban plot in a residential neighborhood in Curitiba. It is characterized by the use of fair-face concrete and utilizing color as the main design element. This article begins with a description of the architect’s biography and then of the project itself, firstly through an analysis of the existing bibliographic references and then through a descriptive analysis of the house. The result of the documentation is a reproduction of the original project through plans, sections, and elevations. In parallel, current photographs taken during a survey illustrate the description. Through all these materials, we can better understand the effectiveness of the project documentation methodology and the contribution of this survey to new research on related subjects and, of course, on the production of this architect and others, whose work is still little researched and published.