CASACOR São Paulo receives certification that measures the impact of architecture on health traduzido por: OPENROUTER

An urban adult spends about 90% of their time indoors, according to studies by the World Health Organization, considering work, hours at home, and leisure. Now imagine: what would people's daily lives be like if spaces were built, from their very first sketches, to be healthier for them and, consequently, also for the planet? "This perspective, which sees architecture as a promoter of environmental comfort, health, and well-being, is still at the forefront of the sector, and it's something we embraced this year to spread knowledge and encourage improvements across the entire construction segment," comments the operations director of CASACOR, Darlan Firmato.

The triad of healthiness involves measurable aspects based on very solid scientific foundations. "These are not subjective elements, but rather indoor air quality, cross ventilation, natural lighting, concentration of biophilia, and even cleaning products," says João Marcello Gomes Pinto, founder and CEO of Sustentech, a sustainability consultancy and partner of CASACOR. To effectively implement this concept, the São Paulo edition achieved, for the first time, the GBC Life Performance Rating certification from the Green Building Council Brasil. "The seal was created by medical professionals. At the center of the issue is how we feel when we spend time in specific places," explains Felipe Faria, CEO of the institution.

Hugo Ribas - Pira Sesá - Olho de Peixe. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Roberta Gewehr/CASACOR)

He adds that the certification adopts indicators divided into seven categories: air and water quality, biophilia, electromagnetic pollution, and three types of comfort (thermal, acoustic, and luminous). Here it is worth mentioning: the fact that the exhibition takes place at Parque da Água Branca is, in itself, an advantage. "There is good lighting and cross ventilation, for example, due to the large windows of its buildings, not to mention that the connection with nature is very present," adds Darlan.

In this process, Sustentech provided guidance to the authors of ten selected projects so they could align their proposals with the seal's guidelines. "With everything ready and already in operation, we will carry out a series of performance measurements on this sample of projects to verify compliance with the parameters," explains João Marcello. Among them are the Biobilheteria and the Speakeasy.

Studio Gaibola - SPEAKEASY. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Carolina Mossin/CASACOR)

The measurements were validated by an audit and sent to GBC Brasil. Upon confirmation of good results, the organization issued the certification. "Architects and designers already have a lot of intuition about how to achieve healthier spaces. Our job is to provide more technical knowledge on the subject and present effective solutions, in order to highlight the enormous potential for transformation of the sector that they hold in their hands," comments the Sustentech executive, who believes that there is a lot of important information that is still little publicized.

"This is the case, for example, of some types of granite that, depending on the extraction site, may have higher levels of radioactivity, something harmful in areas of long-term occupancy," he states. The same happens with paints, varnishes, wood glues, and air fresheners, which contain chemical products (whether or not perceived by smell) capable of causing headaches, nausea, eye and throat irritation, among other even more severe symptoms.

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

"Spreading this understanding at a strategic event like CASACOR amplifies the visibility of the topic and places health at a level of real importancewhen we talk about both new real estate developments and the industrial production of construction items. When the public has access to this data, they are impacted and start to consider this aspect in their choices," argues Felipe Faria.

Enhanced homework

Rafaella Manso Arquitetura - Nota em Linhas. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2026. (Roberta Gewehr/CASACOR)

The pursuit of this unprecedented recognition came after an entire decade of major efforts by the brand in the field of sustainability. "We reached a peak in waste management, with 99.8% of the volume diverted from landfills, which has already earned us five Zero Waste certifications," celebrates Darlan. On this list, he also highlights the offsetting of carbon emissions from the show, the Yearbook, and Eixos CASACOR, an in-person gathering that annually launches trends and reveals the theme of the following edition.

Panapaná Estúdio - Banheiro Sincrético. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2024. (MCA Estúdio/CASACOR)

Furthermore, since 2024 Sustentech has offered the cast the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the materials specified for the projects in order to suggest swaps that reduce the carbon footprint. Then, it is possible to offset emissions by purchasing credits (this year, Rafaella Manso, Hugo Ribas, Isadora Araujo, Viviane Teles, and Senac São Paulo + Estudio Guto Requena submitted their projects). Visitors take part in the initiative, if they wish, by choosing to neutralize the CO2 related to their travel to the Park (the current amount for this is an additional R$6.50 on top of the ticket price, charged at the end of the purchase journey). Now, with the new initiative, the evolution continues on its course toward an increasingly greener CASACOR.

traduzido por: OPENROUTER