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Mini Universe

Mini Universe

Pelotas, Brazil

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Other Projects by estúdio254 human-centered architecture

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Mini Universe

Pelotas, Brazil

Firm

estúdio254 human-centered architecture

Type

Government + Health › Medical Facility

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2025

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

Photos

leonardo krug (30)

Mini Universo was conceived as a territory of discovery. A place where care, development and imagination coexist to transform children’s relationship with health from their earliest years. The clinic proposes an environment that welcomes the body, stimulates curiosity and creates positive experiences that accompany children throughout their development.

Inspired by Ingrid Fetell Lee’s book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness and guided by principles of neuroscience applied to architecture, the project is grounded in the understanding that spaces influence emotions, behaviors and even the way the body responds to lived experiences. Architecture therefore becomes part of the act of caring itself, operating as an active tool for well-being, emotional regulation and child development.

The project is structured around the idea of a small universe waiting to be explored. The spatial journey invites children to discover the environment at their own pace, respecting their time, their bodies and their emotions. A child-centered scale guides every design decision, transforming each element from a functional object into an invitation to participate. Miniature doors encourage autonomy, climbing spaces organize the body through movement, the horizontal net invites adventure and reading niches offer moments of pause and self-regulation.

Rather than creating a silent and rigid clinical environment, the project embraces a lively atmosphere where playing, exploring and learning to care for oneself become part of the same experience. Waiting is no longer an interval between activities but an opportunity for interaction and discovery. Grandstands, refuges and shared spaces encourage spontaneous encounters and strengthen the sense of belonging, allowing children and their families to naturally appropriate the environment.

The architectural language is built through continuity. Gentle curves run across furniture, niches, millwork and circulation paths, conveying comfort and emotional security. Colors organize atmospheres and stimulate different behaviors, while natural materials bring children closer to a delicate and intuitive sensory experience. Playfulness is introduced intentionally, without resorting to literal representations, allowing imagination to become the true protagonist of the space.

Mini Universo establishes itself as a tool for child development. An environment where architecture welcomes, regulates and awakens. A place that demonstrates that care begins long before treatment itself and that perhaps the best way to transform a generation’s relationship with health is to allow children to grow up associating care, autonomy and joy with the very experience of inhabiting a space.

Product Spec Sheet

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Collaborating Firms

Diego Leite

Execução

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Team

Samantha Diefenbach

Lead architect

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Mini Universe

Pelotas, Brazil

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Mini Universe

Pelotas, Brazil

Other Projects by estúdio254 human-centered architecture

Chocólatras Anônimos

Sél Candiota Functional Space

Baita Technology

Ste Offices

Pampulhinha

Voe

Encantas

Trinca Offices

Mini Universe

Pelotas, Brazil

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team