About 12 km from Avenida Paulista, in an alley in Jardim Colombo, part of the Paraisópolis complex, delivery man Wallece Gonzaga de Souza lives in a
room measuring just 7.30 m2 , with a makeshift bathroom . Since there is no shower or plumbing, he has to find a time to take a shower every day at his mother's house, which is very close by. "It's bad because she goes to bed early to go to work in the morning. I avoid arriving too late so as not to disturb her," he says. Until recently, Wallece
had been dreaming of having his own bathroom , a project that began to take shape at the beginning of the year. He just didn't imagine that the work, promoted by
CASACOR São Paulo , would end up becoming an extension of the exhibition, in an action orchestrated by architect and activist
Ester Carro with Livia Pedreira, president of the board of trustees.
More than a shower
The idea follows the positive impact of
Espaço Motirõ , in 2023, dedicated to peripheral living. In her second participation, Ester went a
step further in approaching the theme: she dealt not with a controlled environment, but rather
with a real history and scenario of the city . “I consider it a continuation of last year's work, when we discussed the periphery within the exhibition.
This time, we took the opposite path . We are going to prove that social architecture can bring about change”, she argues. She heads the
Fazendinhando Institute , which, in addition to recovering abandoned areas, has offered construction training courses for women in the community and renovated homes in the neighborhood. Since 2020, the institution has had the support of
CASACOR São Paulo , which provides inputs for the implementation of these actions,
including materials and objects left over from previous editions . To set up
Casa do Wallece , the advanced environment of the route, Ester expanded the footage, totaling 10.50
m2 .
In the interiors, the professional took advantage of every corner to
create a complete home structure . “We planned a raised bed, on a kind of mezzanine. We also increased the number of windows,” she describes. Below the sleeping area, custom-made cabinets were added, followed by a small kitchen counter, refrigerator and sink. At the end of the house, the desired bathroom stands. “I just wanted a place to take a shower and have some privacy.
Now, it’s like I’m in the middle of the house.” “
I would have won the lottery ,” says Wallece. With so many new prospects, he can’t hide his enthusiasm: “I want to inspire more people to help the Institute. Those at the top can donate and change lives.
This initiative will make history ,” he says, hopefully.
For Ester, the boldness of including a real home in
CASACOR comes from an
effort to raise public awareness . “Walcece’s story is no exception. This is the situation of many delivery men and
motorcycle couriers in São Paulo, young people who have not had access to education and who are struggling in their daily lives.
We must give a voice to those who are invisible ,” she says. “Many live in places like this without any technical assistance. The architecture we learned in college ends up being very far from this reality. And a well-planned
layout can
impact the physical and mental health of a person from the outskirts. Today, at Fazendinhando, we have the mission of
fighting for dignity for this population,” adds the architect.
Casa do Wallece will be open to guided tours organized by
CASACOR and the Fazendinhando Institute,
which will be announced on our digital channels . Regarding the expectation of visitors' reactions, Ester states, convinced of the symbolic value of the space: “From the moment CASACOR takes on this social initiative,
it influences and engages many people .”
