Arena of Knowledge brings applied education to CASACOR São Paulo 2026 in partnership with Senac traduzido por: OPENROUTER

"When we're in college, opportunities come up that we need to seize. Having a built work in your portfolio even before graduation is now within your reach," said Guto Requena to the approximately 120 students present at the CASACOR opening lecture at Centro Universitário Senac São Paulo, held in March. A member of the lineup in previous years and an enthusiastic professor, the architect explained the recent partnership between the two institutions: dedicating one of the show's projects to serve as a laboratory, whose authors would be eight seniors from the Bachelor's program in Architecture and Urbanism.

Acima, o time que trabalhou na Arena: Patrick Conteli, Brenda Teixeira, Amanda Diamantino, Marcella Ocke, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Jonatas Falcão (no chão, da esq. para a dir.); Rafael Cassiano, Henrique Fiori, Luciana Housska, Walter Galvão (sentados atrás, da esq. para a dir.); Guto Requena, Mateus Fraga, Carolina Sant’Anna (em pé, da esq. para a dir.) (Salvador Cordaro/CASACOR)

"We planted the seed of an initiative that can be repeated at every edition of the event", says Guto. As a creative consultant for the course since 2025, his role is to bring a market perspective to the curriculum, suggesting experiences that complement academic training. In this context, he and Livia Pedreira, president of the curatorial council, came up with the idea of opening CASACOR's doors for an educational purpose. The first result of this action materializes in the Arena do Conhecimento.

Senac São Paulo + Estúdio Guto Requena - Arena do Conhecimento. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Roberta Gewehr/CASACOR)

Responsible for bringing it to life, the eight participants in the extracurricular activity went through a selection process that took into account not only their classroom performance but also their availability and aptitude for teamwork, under the pressure of a demanding schedule. After all, the team did more than just create: they carried out technical visits, drafted drawings, analyzed material options, dealt with suppliers, and followed the 40 days of assembly – always under the supervision of professors Marcella Ocke, Rodrigo Gutierrez, and Walter Galvão.

The projects will undergo an evaluation that the consultancy Sustentech will conduct on the life cycle analysis of the materials used. "The analysis of this data will also be a source of study," reflects Guto.

A place for exchange

"In a short time, I noticed the students' growth on the methodological side. That's what's expected when they come into contact with challenging realities," says Marcella. In the consulting meetings with Guto and Mateus Fraga, architect of the Studio, the group refined the proposal and discussed issues such as the choice of finishes – aiming at the most sustainable and acoustically efficient option – and the definition of the lighting, important to provide concentration, not sleep, in a place of learning. "We chose to close the large windows and invest in automated lighting whose color temperature changes throughout the day to follow the circadian cycle," notes Guto. Another relevant concept is hinted at in the layout, defined by a sofa that wraps around the 100 m² area and accommodates up to 40 people. Another ten can sit on the poufs. "This circularity refers to the cirandas, samba and capoeira circles, important collectives in our culture, in a format without hierarchy," he adds.

Senac São Paulo + Estúdio Guto Requena - Arena do Conhecimento. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Roberta Gewehr/CASACOR)

Supported by Lar Center, the Arena is part of the free visitation section of the circuit – simply register at the ticket office or get a ticket from the open program to enter. Its schedule begins on June 9, with the Senac Knowledge Week, dedicated to topics such as technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation in the field of architecture (there will be two daily lectures until June 12). It will also host the Dialogues at CASACOR, a series of structured conversations with professionals from our community based on the pillars in which the brand operates, such as art, architecture and design, landscaping, sustainability, diversity, and heritage (check the topics, guests, and dates at https://appcasacor.com.br/events/sao-paulo-2026).

traduzido por: OPENROUTER