An Organic Response to Brazil’s Climate: Passive House

SPACE December 2025 (No. 697) 

Interview Ivo Mareines, Matthieu Van Beneden co-principals, Mareines Arquitetura × Kim Bokyoung 

Kim Bokyoung (Kim): How did Mareines Arquitetura come to develop the philosophy that ‘We believe that an organic response is the best way for architecture, nature and people to coexist together’?

Ivo Mareines, Matthieu Van Beneden (Mareines, Van Beneden): We believe there is no possibility that a single work of architecture (Vers une architecture) could account for the diversity of cultures and landscapes around the planet. Each place has its own specificities and requires a unique design response. Our response is organic in the sense that we always ask: What does the land ask of us? Land is understood as a natural and cultural phenomenon related to a given project. The answer must be in harmony with the depth of the question. This is what we call an organic response.

Kim: Passive House originated in the cold climates of Central Europe, but Mareines Arquitetura has adapted it to Brazil’s climate conditions. What principles or strategies did you follow when designing a Passive House suited to the Brazilian climate?

Mareines, Van Beneden: Yes, the term Passive House originated in cold climates. The concept, in a way, embodies the idea of freedom and independence; energetically self-sufficient, using water resources responsibly, and, to some extent, growing part of one’s own food. Etymologically, passive comes from the Latin passivus, meaning ‘the ability to feel or to suffer’. The architecture must, as the Latin root suggests, be capable of feeling and enduring the climatic changes occurring around the globe. As mentioned in the previous question, each place demands a different response. In hot and humid climates, life can undoubtedly develop in outdoor and shaded spaces. Shade is the greatest ally for a healthy and happy life. In cold climates, such as Campos do Jordão, the strategies are different, aligning more closely with those of the Northern Hemisphere in terms of energy conservation. Life here is more restricted to interior and protected spaces.

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