Abrigo Nossa Casa is a two-story building with 702.37 m² of built area in the south of Brazil. The house was entirely reformed and expanded between 2020 and 2024 to serve as a temporary home for up to 37 children and teenagers( ages 0 to 17), including those with disabilities. A new module was added to house the service area and restrooms. Every single room was transformed to prioritize comfort, accessibility, and dignity. What makes this project exceptional is its public-private partnership: while the municipality provided the property and institutional support, 90 companies and 300 individuals donated materials, services, and labor.
This project is not just architecture, it is empathy, care, and community materialized. Abrigo Nossa Casa was conceived to feel like a true home, not an institution. The children who live here have already been through trauma, displacement, and emotional rupture. The architecture needed to counterbalance that reality with warmth, dignity, and affection.
There are no signs labeling rooms, no institutional divisions. Instead, each child has their own bed, their own section of the wardrobe, their own space. This respect for individuality was a guiding principle throughout the design process. Every space was created to offer comfort, stimulation, and healing. There is a colorful library filled with books donated by the community, a computer room for learning and connection, a vibrant playground, cozy reading corners, and shared spaces where play and rest coexist naturally.
What makes this project truly unique is its origin story. It began not as a government initiative, but as the personal mission of a local architect who felt compelled to act. He mobilized a network of allies, sparking a movement that united public and private forces for a common good. What began as his personal mission grew into a collective movement: 90 companies and over 300 individuals stepped in to help, donating money, materials, labor, and time. Artists, designers, carpenters, builders, and volunteers came together in a rare and moving collaboration.
Abrigo Nossa Casa is more than a shelter: it is a symbol of what a community can build when united by compassion. Every square meter represents not just physical space, but hope, possibility, and collective responsibility. The result is a home created by many, for those who had none. It stands as a powerful reminder that architecture can be an act of love and a tool for social transformation.
