EG: What is the rule played by the figure of architect in the construction of the new Brazil?
TT: Today nobody thinks about how to create the city, just how to make money and the situation must change. Of course the city has to grow up but we must work on the policy, . we must focus not on what to do that but on how to do that.
EG: From the architectural and social point of view what are, in your opinion, the dangerous points for a reality that has a so quick development?
TT: From the architectural point of view, every single building is just a piece in the urban scale. From a social point of view we start to change, today the price of the land is higher, the cost of life is higher, poor people must go away: this actual system is against the integration. Substituting a city with another city is wrong but we need a change.
EG: Is the idea of sustainability, in terms of the most open meaning of the word, present in the latest main project in Brazil?
TT: Sustainability for us is a kind of system that makes a project more intelligent. The more effective thing that makes a project sustainability the project itself.
EG: What project do you think could be more rappresentative for your work?
TT: It isdifficult to say what out more representative project is: it depends on time, location… on a lot of factors. If I must give you an example of sustainable in our project I can mention an a urban project that we did in a high risk area in the suburb, there were not solar panels but there we start a process; it is even more difficult to show the results but it worked.
EG: After 60 years, what do you think about Brasilia? It is a positive or a negative result?
TT: Brasilia was a study case for the last generation and we see it like it has always been. We know about the issues of pedestrian paths and segregation but for us it is a winning bet for two reasons. First of all because it is unique: in the last century architects and urban planners did a lot of discussion and plans about an ideal city and at least they manage to built it in Brasilia. The second reason is because people who live there love the city. It is wrong if we consider our point of view as the only one, because, at least, the habitants’ opinion is the most important one, for me.
EG: What is the relation between the verticalization of the building, like in São Paulo, and the life in the open and public space?
TT: About this topic we are going through a change. Our new Major started a process, about how to make a city grow up, and we are now reviewing the low about that.
The actual low permits to built structures without a correct urban plan, in terms of indices and density, this makes it easier for the building speculation to enter in the planning. The policies start to put interest in building city. We always talk about this but just now we have the opportunity to do it. Poor people of course suffer more of this situation.
EG: World cup and Olympics, are you ready?
TT: Wherever the World cup and Olympics will reach our area, we hope to see, of course, a better city. Don’t get me wrong, the event can be nice, and, if me, we will be prepared to do it, but at the same time we are really losing the opportunity to create a legacy for our cities, to integrate and to build better places.
We are not just talking about making better places, after the games, we are talking about solving huge problems.
We are not against the idea to build huge structures or big constructions but is not in this way that the life of the people will change.
Edited by: Eugenia Gotti – Architecture Department Editor –
Where: São paulo , Brazil
Artworks: Terra e Tuma
Proof reading: Bianca Baroni
