Sacred Leaves Pavilion+ The Scissors

Sibaúma, Brazil

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Other Projects by Atelier Daniel Florez

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Sacred Leaves Pavilion+ The Scissors

Sibaúma, Brazil

Firm

Atelier Daniel Florez

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Hotel
Cultural › Pavilion
Landscape + Planning › Playground

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

In 2022, we began the transformation of Kilombo Vilas Hotel, a resort on a stunning beach in northeastern Brazil, home to dolphins and turtles.

The intervention strategy was based on two small actions with a strong sustainable approach.
The first design intervention, which we called the Sacred Leaves Pavilion, was a poetic umbraculum made of three leaves crafted from wood and bamboo.

During the day, the strong tropical sun is softened by the sea breeze from the trade winds, which blow from the southeast almost year-round, constantly moving the clouds. The pavilion's structure, made of Glue Laminated Timber and bamboo, creates a shaded and ventilated space beneath a polycarbonate roof. Its shadow poetically projects the shape of three leaves, which appear, move, and disappear in harmony with the surrounding ecosystem—clouds, wind, and sun.

At night, warm artificial light filters through the polycarbonate roof, revealing three sacred leaves visible from the hotel villas' balconies. The perception of the floating leaves in the forest, along with their shadows, poetically reminds us of our commitment to life and nature preservation, turning the tourist stay into an educational experience as well.

The lamps, made from recycled bamboo pieces, hang from the wooden beams through copper cylinders, whose greenish oxidation expresses the passage of time.

The second intervention, which we called "The Scissors," was designed to transform the entire hotel into a Carbon Zero complex while simultaneously reorganizing the entrance areas, parking, reception, drop-off, vegetable garden, and delivery zones in a way that could accommodate the new activities of the pavilion.

"The Scissors" consists of a structural grid formed by the repetition of the same prefabricated timber scissor element at equal distances, supporting 400m² of solar panels
that generate 30% more energy than the hotel's total consumption. These scissors serve as both structural supports for the roof and an elegant expression of an elementary exercise in decomposing and transmitting gravitational and wind forces to the ground.

Located six degrees below the equator, the site enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year—an abundant renewable energy source that has turned the hotel into a Carbon Zero building, generating 130,000 kWh annually, 30% more than the hotel's total energy needs.

Both interventions were designed using natural materials sourced from nearby areas—wood, bamboo, stone, palm, and piassava—all elements with minimal carbon impact and a permeable floor.

Both interventions are removable, transportable, and recyclable, following a committed and sustainable approach aligned with the principles of the circular economy.

Crafted with local labor, these interventions have significantly enhanced the architecture, economy, and brand image of the hotel in a profoundly sustainable way.

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Sacred Leaves Pavilion+ The Scissors

Sibaúma, Brazil

Other Projects by Atelier Daniel Florez

Gutter House

Sacred Leaves Pavilion+ The Scissors

Sibaúma, Brazil

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team