Client: Instituto Catuçaba, Brazil

Overview

Earth Portal is an environmental structure that conveys a unifying vision of the world.
It was conceived as ‘the house of nature’ that includes all and accommodates all of us without exceptions.
Evoking the reciprocal interrelationships with nature and among the visitors, Portal serves as the threshold for personal transformation that calls into focus the ultimate unity of our existence and unlimited human potential.
It was constructed from reclaimed timber and is part of the Earth Portals series of 12 related works which examine human relationships with nature.

Materials: hardwood timber (cumaru, maracatyara), concrete, hardware, oil paint, sealant; 3x18x13 feet
Photo courtesy Instituto Catuçaba, Brazil

Goals

Earth Portal design was inspired by the façade of an old countryside house in Brazil which was constructed in a vernacular architectural tradition known as pau-a-pique (where mud, straw and bamboo are used structurally to build walls).
The ecology of Seirra Do Mar Atlantic rain-forest, where the work is installed, also plays a pivotal role in its perception, as the surrounding natural environment with its boundary-less vistas is conceived to be an integral part of this installation.