Emerging as a Forestry City, the MuCA Architectural Complex integrates the Amazon Science Museum – the world’s largest open-air and advanced jungle laboratory supporting innovation and ecological preservation – into a comprehensive master plan in Belterra, Brazil. The project revitalizes the historic Vila Americana, originally founded by Henry Ford, incorporating sustainable practices while linking city, forest, and community. With facilities such as hotels, a Tapajós Food Culture Center, an International School, and an Administrative Villa, the complex fosters research, education, hospitality, and cultural exchange, empowering the local community.
The Amazon Science Museum (MuCA) is an institution that promotes an efficient and sustainable ecosystem while combining science, public authorities, civil society, and private initiatives to bring innovation, enhance the bioeconomy through biotechnology, and unlock the full potential of the local community.
Far more than a museum, MuCA offers the first Advanced Jungle Laboratory in the Amazon (and the largest open-air laboratory on the planet), conducting studies with animals, plants, and microorganisms of high biological relevance for the development of wild foods, biocosmetics, and phytopharmaceuticals.
It was from this context that arose the need for an architectural complex of hospitality, infrastructure, education, leisure, culture, tourism, and administration, as well as the relocation of public buildings, in order to support the demands of such a central spot.
HISTORICAL OCCUPATION | Vila Americana was established in 1934 by Ford, the American automobile manufacturer, to create an industrial hub during the rubber boom era. By 1945, when the business was no longer profitable, the factory and American-style housing were abandoned. Today, the local population utilizes the remaining historic buildings for public institutions, yet many structures remain neglected without restoration efforts.
CURRENT SITUATION | Now with financial support, the original white and green wooden houses – which now enjoy historical protections, being listed by the National Historical Heritage Institute (IPHAN) – are undergoing a full restoration process while preserving their standard hues and unique design legacy. Many of these structures are being adapted and repurposed to accommodate schools, laboratories, accommodations, and other support facilities for MuCA.
This transformation allows Vila Americana to establish a significant self-sustainable ecosystem for innovation, bioeconomics, and forest preservation, catering to both local and international visitors. This consolidation offers a promising horizon for the people, who can transform the forest into Brazil’s main asset and competitive advantage, and for future generations, who will have a broader horizon of opportunities for income generation.
PROJECT PILLARS | Aiming to preserve culture and nature, the complex is built upon four pillars: the forest, the city, the economy, and the people. Architecture serves as the conduit to interconnect these pillars through spatial design, creating environments for debate, education, and the advancement of science and sustainability in collaboration with multiple stakeholders. Empowering and supporting the local community is a key element in developing a sustainable city. Entrepreneurs, equally invested in preservation, are crucial for establishing these foundational standards through mutual collaboration. Sustainability is integrated throughout the complex, employing technological solutions for water, waste, energy, and mobility management. Key strategies include wastewater treatment, a comprehensive recycling and waste sorting chain, the establishment of a manual or automated waste sorting center in the agroforestry area, the implementation of sustainable solar energy with local generation, the creation of a solar farm center in the agroforestry area, and the promotion of electric vehicles and bicycles at central locations.
PROGRAMMATIC ORGANIZATION: A NEW PATH THROUGH ARCHITECTURE | Where once Ford extracted rubber from the Amazonian woods, a new focus on the local community has emerged, along with a renewed appreciation for values and history. This design concept represents a reassessment of culture, community, and sustainability across architectural, furniture, and urban planning realms, creating a green city that unites researchers, students, tourists, and locals toward a shared goal. Several local structures are undergoing extensive revitalization, repurposed for amenities like the Tapajós Food Culture Center, guest residence, two hotels, a Club House, and a reception. The project also preserves and expands the existing school for sustainable international purposes. New constructions, such as bungalows and a Beach Club, enhance the Vila Americana hospitality complex. Public facilities will be centralized in the new Administrative Villa, with the Museum situated at the core of the complex.
ABOUT MuCA | At the heart of Vila Americana, the Amazon Science Museum (MuCA) serves as a research and technical training center, advancing the life sciences industry with a focus on sustainable tourism and forest preservation. Originally a hospital, MuCA has been reconstructed to include state-of-the-art facilities such as an expography area with exhibitions on plants, biomimetics, zoology, bioactives, archeology, and the biosphere, showcasing local craftsmanship and indigenous design. The museum also features a content creation lab for educational purposes, a multimedia-equipped auditorium, and the first Advanced Jungle Laboratory in the Amazon for studying biologically significant animals, plants, and microorganisms, promoting the development of wild foods, biocosmetics, and phytopharmaceuticals.
THE MASTERPLAN | Complementing the museum, the Tapajós Food Culture Center transforms Henry Ford’s former residence into a gastronomic hub, culinary school, and tasting restaurant, celebrating the diversity of Amazonian ingredients and Tapajó Cuisine. This center collaborates with Brazil’s largest Culinary Arts Institute and a renowned local restaurant to train entrepreneurs and chefs.
Adding to the complex’s hospitality offerings, the Beach Club and bungalows provide spaces for relaxation and connection with nature. The first, located by the Tapajós River, adapts to seasonal water level changes with an elevated design. The second offers scenic views, spacious verandas, and amenities like a bar and restaurant, enhancing the guest experience. The complex also includes two hotels repurposed from former local government offices, offering a total of 18 suites, and a guest residence designed for larger groups, featuring a living room, kitchen, swimming pool, and private suites. These accommodations support the complex’s mission to foster research, education, and cultural exchange, linking the Amazon’s rich history with a sustainable future.
