The Copan building in São Paulo, Brazil, showcasing its sustainable architectural design.

Can Retro Architecture Teach Us How to Cool Our Cities?

Theo Raines in Climate & Environment August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the eco-friendly designs of Brazil's Copan Building and what they mean for future housing."

In an era increasingly defined by climate concerns and urban density, the architectural community is looking back to the past for inspiration. The Brazilian Modernist movement, which flourished between 1930 and 1964, offers a treasure trove of eco-friendly design strategies perfectly suited for today’s challenges. These designs prioritized natural ventilation, solar orientation, and efficient use of materials, creating buildings that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also remarkably sustainable.

One standout example of this approach is the COPAN building in São Paulo. Designed in the 1950s by the legendary Oscar Niemeyer, this massive residential structure exemplifies how thoughtful architectural design can significantly improve urban living. With its iconic curvilinear shape and innovative use of concrete brise-soleils, the COPAN building offers valuable insights into creating comfortable, energy-efficient urban spaces.

Recent research has delved into the thermal performance of the COPAN building, combining fieldwork, occupant interviews, and advanced computer simulations. The findings reveal that the building's design effectively regulates temperature and maintains comfortable living conditions, proving the enduring relevance of bioclimatic principles in modern architecture.

Decoding the COPAN Building: A Masterclass in Bioclimatic Design

The Copan building in São Paulo, Brazil, showcasing its sustainable architectural design.

The COPAN building, completed in 1966, is a residential giant, housing around 5,000 residents in 1,160 apartments. Its design addresses the challenges of high-density urban living by prioritizing natural ventilation and solar protection. The building's orientation, materials, and facade elements work together to create a comfortable indoor environment while minimizing energy consumption.

Key features of the COPAN building include:

Curvilinear Shape: The building's distinctive 'S' shape maximizes exposure to prevailing winds, promoting natural ventilation throughout the structure.
Concrete Brise-Soleils: Horizontal concrete overhangs shade the north and northwest facades, blocking direct sunlight and reducing heat gain.
Single-Glazed Curtain Wall: The south and southeast orientations feature a glazed curtain wall that captures solar heat in the winter while allowing ample daylight.
Thermal Mass: The building's concrete structure provides significant thermal mass, absorbing and releasing heat to moderate temperature fluctuations.

These elements combine to create a building that naturally regulates its internal temperature, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. The COPAN building demonstrates how thoughtful design can create comfortable and sustainable urban living spaces.

Lessons from the Past, Blueprints for the Future

The COPAN building's success highlights the enduring value of bioclimatic design principles. By understanding and applying these strategies, architects and urban planners can create more sustainable and comfortable cities for the future. As we face the challenges of climate change and increasing urbanization, the lessons from Brazil's modernist movement offer a roadmap for building a more resilient and eco-friendly world.

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Everything You Need To Know

What are the key bioclimatic design principles exemplified by the Copan Building in São Paulo?

The Copan Building showcases several key bioclimatic design principles, including its curvilinear shape to maximize natural ventilation, concrete brise-soleils to provide solar shading, a single-glazed curtain wall to capture solar heat in winter, and the use of thermal mass to regulate temperature fluctuations. These elements work together to minimize the need for artificial heating and cooling, creating a more sustainable and comfortable living environment. Other buildings of the Brazilian Modernist movement share similar eco-friendly design strategies perfectly suited for today’s challenges.

How does the Copan Building's design contribute to sustainable urban living in high-density environments?

The Copan Building addresses the challenges of high-density urban living by prioritizing natural ventilation and solar protection. Its orientation, materials, and facade elements work together to create a comfortable indoor environment while minimizing energy consumption. The building's curvilinear shape promotes natural ventilation, while concrete brise-soleils and the single-glazed curtain wall help regulate temperature and daylight. The use of thermal mass further moderates temperature fluctuations, reducing reliance on artificial climate control.

What specific features of the Copan Building contribute to its ability to naturally regulate internal temperature?

Several features of the Copan Building contribute to its natural temperature regulation. The curvilinear shape maximizes exposure to prevailing winds, promoting natural ventilation. Concrete brise-soleils shade the north and northwest facades, reducing heat gain. The single-glazed curtain wall on the south and southeast orientations captures solar heat in winter while allowing ample daylight. The concrete structure provides thermal mass, absorbing and releasing heat to moderate temperature fluctuations. These features collectively minimize the need for artificial heating and cooling.

What lessons can architects and urban planners learn from the Copan Building to create more sustainable cities in the future, particularly in the context of climate change?

Architects and urban planners can learn the enduring value of bioclimatic design principles from the Copan Building. By understanding and applying strategies like natural ventilation, solar orientation, and efficient use of materials, they can create more sustainable and comfortable cities. The Copan Building demonstrates how thoughtful design can significantly improve urban living, reduce energy consumption, and create more resilient and eco-friendly urban environments. The Copan Building provides valuable insights into creating comfortable, energy-efficient urban spaces.

Beyond the features explicitly mentioned, what other aspects of the Brazilian Modernist movement's approach to architecture could further enhance the sustainability of urban housing, and why are they not detailed here?

While the Copan Building exemplifies many key bioclimatic principles, the broader Brazilian Modernist movement also emphasized aspects like efficient use of local materials, integration with green spaces, and flexible, adaptable designs. These features, though not explicitly detailed in the discussion of the Copan Building, further contribute to sustainability by reducing transportation costs, enhancing biodiversity, and extending the lifespan of buildings. A deeper exploration could also include water management strategies and community-focused design elements, enriching our understanding of holistic sustainable urban development.