After a year full of emotions, starting with her debut at
CASACOR São Paulo 2023, the largest architecture and design exhibition in the Americas,
architect Ester Carro has yet another reason to celebrate before the year ends: she was considered one of the Brazilian highlights of
Forbes Under 30 2023 . "I believe that being on this list reinforces the seriousness and importance of our work for the favelas of Brazil. It is a unique and extremely important recognition, which raises awareness about the transformative power of social architecture and will open new doors," comments Ester Carro.
Ester Carro - doações CASACOR Projeto Fazendinhando (Maria Silvia Ferreira/CASACOR)
From the
Paraisópolis complex, Ester graduated in architecture with the purpose of helping people and the neighborhood where she was born. The dream became reality, especially after the creation of the
Fazendinhando Institute – a project led by the architect that involves the entire community to deliver
decent housing in favelas and provide cultural and socio-environmental reinforcement. "It was a dream come true, a teenage dream, of the girl who looked at that list back then, with the expectation of getting there one day," says the architect.
A house for Tiquinho
Antes de depois da casa de Tiquinho, em Paraisópolis. (Divulgação/CASACOR)
One of Ester Carro's biggest projects in 2023 was the renovation of a
4 m² residence in the
Jardim Colombo neighborhood, in São Paulo.
The tiny house belongs to
Francisco da Silva , better known as
Tiquinho , a 58-year-old man, a recycling worker, who acquired the space 3 years ago for
R$2,000 .
Ester Carro came on the scene with Fazendinhando to
help with all stages of the project : from designing the 4 m² renovation, organizing donations to raise funds, finding volunteers, construction work and the final delivery of Tiquinho's house.
Featured at CASACOR São Paulo 2023
Ester Carro - Espaço Motirõ. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2023. (André Mortatti/CASACOR)
Body & Home was the theme chosen to guide architects at CASACOR in 2023, and Ester Carro decided
to rescue her origins with a sensitive look at "peripheral living". "This year, we expanded our actions in the favelas where we operate. I signed a space at CASACOR SP for the first time, which was even awarded by VEJA Magazine. We have a diverse team that complements each other in many aspects and allows our voice to echo in different corners," says Ester.
Ester Carro - Espaço Motirõ. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2023. (André Mortatti/CASACOR)
The project was named
MOTIRÕ , which means “a meeting of people to harvest or build something together, helping each other”.
Ester Carro - Espaço Motirõ. Moradora e ativista da comunidade do Jardim Colombo, na Zona Oeste de São Paulo, a arquiteta Ester Carro enxergou a participação na mostra como uma possibilidade de expor essa realidade. Por isso, elaborou um projeto com alternativas para espaços pequenos que precisam acomodar famílias inteiras e muitas atividades. O ambiente de 34 m² contempla hall de trabalho, banheiro com lavanderia, sala integrada à cozinha e quarto. A cama de casal vem com beliche de solteiro. No mobiliário, destacam-se ainda peças desenhadas pelo escritório de Claudia Moreira Salles com intervenções do artista Waxamani Mehinako. (André Mortatti/CASACOR)
In addition to the indigenous references that mark the cabinets, it is worth highlighting the various
decoration solutions for small spaces , such as the bunk bed, the German corner and even an improvised home office.
Click here to check out the full project .
