"Makazi," Swahili for shelter, symbolizes a welcoming space for African descendants at Unicap campus, sponsored by the Integration Week 2019. With digital tools like Rhinoceros and Grasshopper, a team of eight students, guided by a professor, designed and built the structure in just 3 days. Materials like pine wood and marine plywood were used for affordability and manageability.

The artifact's twisted block form integrates with the tropical garden, providing shade and a symbiotic relationship with nature. Its spiral logic allows for vertical growth, with hexagonal rings guiding its twisting pattern. Access to the interior is provided by removing horizontal pieces, while fabric ropes add structural support and shading effects.

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This experience underscores the importance of bridging theory and practice in architectural education, the value of digital technologies in design optimization, and the potential of intelligent shape-generating processes to create memorable human experiences. Makazi embodies Louis Kahn's timeless lesson: "Architecture is an art we can be in."

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More about the award by the Brazilian Institute of Architects, Pernambuco Chapter (IAB-PE) 2021 Awards can be found here.