From the garden condominium to the park condominium: typological variations in São Paulo's landscape

Abstract

Many types of buildings and many types of open spaces make up the urban landscape and the urban fabric of the city of São Paulo in the early 21st century. One of several forms of housing is the high-and medium-standard condominium. Some of these have a simple morphological structure, with buildings parallel to the front property line, gardens in the front yard, and a playground in the backyard. Others have a more complex morphological structure, with groups of trees, woods, private streets, and the original topography partially preserved. In fact, there is a gradation in the design of open spaces, which varies from the establishment of garden areas to that of private parks, with the square and the club in between. The former is characterized by its design and by the arrangement of buildings; the latter by leisure areas, swimming pools, and sports courts in the central area of the property. This gradation determines the typological variety of high-and medium-standard condominiums that are part of the urban landscape in São Paulo. In this case, it is possible to discuss the types of condominiums, emphasizing their similarities, differences, and hierarchies. This paper presents a typology of these condominiums, to study their open spaces. This typology, however, will not be limited to a formal analysis, since their main characteristics are associated with urban landscape and society.