A Arquitetura de Berbert & Peixoto.

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the architectural production of the Berbert & Peixoto Arquitetos Associados firm, founded through the partnership of architects Emmanuel de Nascimento Berbert (1929-2016) and José Álvaro Peixoto (1925-1993). The main objective is to conduct a survey and systematization of the works conceived by this prolific firm, which ranks among the most enduring of its time. Furthermore, the study aims to carry out an analysis guided by a panoramic approach, segmenting the works into distinct categories in order to discern how this contribution manifested itself in the realm of urban development and the intrinsic character of the city of Salvador. The period of investigation spans from the 1950s until the closure of the firm. Although the professionals in question were educated at the School of Fine Arts, it is worth noting that they were part of the avant-garde of the first generation of architects trained at the Federal University of Bahia. The federalization elevated the course to a higher level, increasing its visibility among Bahian society. Influenced by the EPUCS (Office of Urban Planning of Salvador) and consequently by the Rio de Janeiro school, the firm developed over a hundred projects, many of which left a mark on the architecture of their time, contributing to the urban development and landscape of the city. They incorporated premises inherited from the Rio de Janeiro school, along with the materiality and specific conditions of the place, and knew how to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the economic, cultural, and social conditions imposed on them. The result is a diversity of uses and a geographic scope in their portfolio, perhaps one of the reasons for the firm's longevity. To analyze their production, it was necessary to employ foundations that facilitated graphic analysis, as technical plans, sketches, perspectives, and photographs form the raw material of this research. Combined with the contextual insertion of specific time and place, this allowed for the establishment of qualitative parameters based on quantitative ones in the search for identifying noteworthy works deserving of case study, using a methodology that seeks to understand the work through the analysis of diagrams as an auxiliary tool. To do this, it was necessary to present a specific topic in the introductory chapter explores authors who use the same form of analysis of architectural works, mainly due to the scarcity of publications regarding their works or access to textual data about the firm, the architects, and their architecture. In addition to the theoretical foundations explored to discern the essence of the design intentions, groupings emerged based on usage, time, and geographical position, enabling an approximation of the architects' design thinking and architectural approach. The grounded investigation and the classifications segmented into categories played a crucial role in directing the selection of works for specific case analyses. These case studies facilitated substantial in-depth analysis, enabling a more accurate understanding of the underlying essence of the works designed and/or constructed under the auspices of the mentioned firm, resulting in a true panorama of the entire production and providing indications of necessary further developments that can be explored through suggested focal points.