BLOCO Arquitetos was founded in Brasília by Daniel Mangabeira (UnB, 1999), Henrique Coutinho (UnB, 1997) and Matheus Seco (UnB, 1999). The three lead a team of architects with diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests. Most of the projects that are present on this site are presented through photographs of built works, which reflects the firm’s wide experience in the materialization of projects of different scales and programs, from houses and buildings to interiors and temporary installations.
BLOCO’s projects are directly related to their specific constraints such as topography, solar orientation of the site and constructions costs. The limits that might be imposed by a certain programs are always considered as open possibilities. Above all, the office assumes that each project is a powerful tool for transforming its context.
BLOCO Architects manage the account “Brasília Moderna” (Modern Brasília), a collection of photos and descriptions of buildings that were constructed during the decades of 1960s and 1980s in Brasília and that were designed by the first-generation of architects who worked in the city. The initiative aims to promote awareness of the importance of preserving and maintaining this important collection. Such works are a source of learning and inspiration for our work.
BLOCO Architects is also one of the founding members of Atelier Piloto. The purpose of the collective is to foster interaction between students, professionals and architecture schools through workshops that promote collaborative work with a common goal: to think about the city.
BLOCO’s projects have already been published in major magazines and specialized websites. Some of the office’s projects can be seen in BLOCO’s publication profile on sites like Dezeen and Archdaily (click to visit). Other works have also been selected, awarded and / or exhibited in Brazil and abroad.
2023 – BLOCO is in 4th place on the list of the Dutch website Archello: The 25 best architecture firms in Brazil
2023 – The Beach Hut is one of the 3 finalists in the “Convivial” category of the 5th Award Edition of “Casa e Jardim” magazine
2023 – The Bretagne apartment is one of the 3 finalists in the “In Tune” category of the 5th Award Edition of “Casa e Jardim” magazine
2023 – The British magazine Monocle awarded BLOCO’s project for Mercado Mané as one of the “50 best projects of 2023”. The “Monocle Design Awards 2023” was conferred to BLOCO in the category “Top Temporary Activation”
2023 – Mercado Mané is one of the 15 finalists for the “2023 Project of the Year Award” (Obra do Ano 2023) by Archdaily Brasil
2023 – BLOCO Arquitetos is ranked 3rd place in the Architizer list of the 25 Best Architecture Firms in Brazil
2022- The Cavalcante House is one of the finalists at the Bienal Panamericana de Quito, Ecuador
2022- The Palicourea House is awarded Honorable Mention at the 9th Saint-Gobain Asbea Architecture Award under the “Resdiential” category
2022- The building for the Julião Coelho Lawyers headquarters is awarded Honorable Mention at the 9th Saint-Gobain Asbea Architecture Award under the “Commercial & Services” category
2022 – The Palicourea House wins the 2nd prize at the ODA 2022 (Obra do Ano – Building of the Year Award 2022), Archdaily Brasil
2022- The building for the Julião Coelho Lawyers headquarters is the winner of the “Building of the Year 2022” awards – “Offices” category – promoted by Archdaily
2022- The Palicourea House is awarded at the Tomie Ohtake Akzoobel Architectural Prize 2021, São Paulo.
2022- The Palicourea House is nominated for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) 2022, organized by the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago
2021- The Palicourea House is one of 13 finalists of the Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architectural Prize 2021, São Paulo.
2021- The Morro Vermelho office is the winner of the “IAB Centenário” Award 2021 Centro Oeste Region, Interiors and Design Category
2021- The Cavalcante House is the winner of the “IAB Centenário” Award 2021 Centro Oeste Region, Buildings Category
2021 – The Restoration of the Tea House is awarded Honorable Mention at the “IAB Centenário” Award 2021 Centro Oeste Region, Interiors and Design Category
2021- The Palicourea House is one of the three finalists of the Casa e Jardim Magazine Awards 2021 under the category “Em Equilíbrio”.
2021- The Vila Rica House is featured in the New York Times in the piece “A Home That Retreats Into the Brazilian Savanna“, written by Michael Snyder with photos by Joana França
2021- The Cavalcante House is one of the winners of the 8th Saint-Gobain Asbea Architecture Award in the “Residential Buildings” category
2020- The Cavalcante House is the winner of the Casa e Jardim 2020 magazine award in the “Sustainable Future” category
2020- The Cavalcante House is one of the 13 finalists of the Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architectural Prize 2020, São Paulo.
2020- The Porticos House is one of 15 the finalists of the “Obra do Ano 2020” awards (Building of the Year 2020 Awards), Archdaily Brasil
2019- The Porticos House is Awarded a Prize at the Annual Awards of the Brazilian Institute of Architects in São Paulo 2019 (IAB-SP)
2019- The Vila Rica House is one of the finalists of the Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architectural Prize 2019, São Paulo.
2018- The House of Coutyards is Awarded Honorable Mention at the Annual Awards of the Brazilian Institute of Architects in Rio de Janeiro (IAB-RJ)
2018- The 711H House is Awarded Honorable Mention at the Annual Awards of the Brazilian Institute of Architects in São Paulo (IAB-SP)
2018- The 711H House is one of the finalists of the Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architectural Prize 2018, São Paulo.
2018 – The Vila Rica House wins the 2nd prize at the ODA 2018 (Obra do Ano – Building of the Year Award), Archdaily Brasil
2018 – The project Aresta House is nominated for the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) 2017-2018, organized by the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago
2017 – COR Store is awarded the 1st prize for the Interior Design category at the 55th annual national award of the Institute of Architects of Brazil of Rio de Janeiro (IAB-RJ).
2017 – Alphaville Volta Redonda Clubhouse receives honorable mention for the New Buildings category at the 55th annual national award of the Institute of Architects of Brazil of Rio de Janeiro (IAB-RJ).
2017 – Authoral Restaurant receives honorable mention for the Interior Design category at the 55th annual national award of the Institute of Architects of Brazil of Rio de Janeiro (IAB-RJ).
2017 – The restroom of the MR53 House is awarded 1st prize on the national competition organized by the brazilian brand DECA.
2017 – Aresta House is one of the pre-selected projects to compete for the International Biennial of Architecture in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2017 – Torreão House is one of the finalists of the Tomie Ohtake AkzoNobel Architectural Prize 2017, São Paulo.
2017 – Outsider Store is one of the representatives of Brazil in the book “Radical – 50 Arquitecturas Latinoamericanas” by Arquine, Mexico.
2016 – The office participates as a speaker – MDA Mendoza, in Mendoza, Argentina, organized by CAMZA (Colegio de Arquitectos de Mendoza).
2016 – Paineira House receives a nomination to compete for the MCHAP-2016 “Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize”, promoted by IIT – Illinois Institute of Technology – Chicago.
2016 – Outsider Store is a finalist of the “Building of the Year Award – Archdaily”, commercial category.
2015 – Outsider Store project wins the 1st prize of the “Best of Architecture 2015” award – Brazil, in the commercial category.
2015 – BLOCO Architects participates as one of the representatives of Brazil in the Latin American Biennial of Architecture – BAL2015 in Pamplona, Spain, together with the AR Architects office. In the same month of April BLOCO participates of conferences in the House of America in Madrid and in the University of Alicante.
2014 – POSEAD Building in Brasilia, by BLOCO Architects (under the name DOMO Architects), was among the 15 pre-selected projects for the IX Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism in Rosario, Argentina.
2014 – BLOCO Architects is one of two offices selected to represent Brazil at the Latin American Biennial of Architecture – BAL2015 in Pamplona, Spain.
2013 – The “Casa Aberta” installation of BLOCO Architects is selected to take part of the X São Paulo International Architecture Biennial. The installation was built at the Centro Cultural São Paulo (CCSP) and was exposed from October to December 2013.
2013 – BLOCO Architects is a finalist of the “The Best of Architecture” award with Alphaville Brasília Clubhouse.
2011 – BLOCO Architects is the finalist of the “The Best of Architecture” award with Migliari House.
2009 – The project of Tangram House is one of the winners of the “The Best of Architecture” award in the single-family residential category.
Daniel Mangabeira, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasília, 1999, Advisor of Athos Bulcão Foundation, Brasília, 2009-2011, Master in Art in Architecture, awarded Distinction- Westminster School of Architecture, London, 2012-2013, President of the CAU-DF (Council of Architecture and Urbanism-DF), 2018-2020
Henrique Coutinho, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasília, 1997
Matheus Seco, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasilia, 1999, Master in Architectural Design (M.Arch), awarded Distinction – Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, London, 2004, under the supervision of Prof. Sir Peter Cook and Dr. Penelope Haralambidou. President of IAB-DF (Brazilian Institute of Architects – Brasília -DF), from 2014 to 2016.
Bárbara Neumann, Architect and Interior Designer, IESB, 2020
Caio Nascimento, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasilia, 2022
Luiz Lopes, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasilia, 2022
Julia Huff, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasilia, 2020
Marina Lira, Architect and Urbanist, University of Brasilia, 2016. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 2013-2014
Pedro Souza, Architect and Urbanist, UniCEUB, 2022
Victor Machado, Architect and Urbanist, UniCEUB, 2011
Luis Alcantara, Architecture Student, University of Brasília.
Luciana Cardoso, Management
BLOCO Architects only uses original software
