Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo by Nathalia Cristina de Souza Vilela Telis

Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo by Nathalia Cristina de Souza Vilela Telis is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Hale, Kūkulu a me Hōʻuluʻulu Competition Category.

KalaHoʻolālā Hale· 2025

Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo

by Nathalia Cristina de Souza Vilela Telis

Client: Nathália Vilela

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Hoʻolālā Hale Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo

ʻO ka Ala he manaʻo hale hoʻokomo loa i hoʻolālā ʻia no ka hoʻohui hou ʻana i nā kānaka me ko lākou ʻano kūlokowaka. Ma Ululāʻau ua o Amakonaka, alakaʻi ka papahana i nā malihini ma o ka papa o nā wahi hoʻomaopopo e hoʻāla ana i nā kumu o ka ola kanaka a hoʻomōhala i ka noʻonoʻo loko. Hoʻokomo kēlā me kēia wahi i nā mea kūlokowaka—ka mālamalama, ka leo, ka ʻano ʻili, a me ka ʻala—no ka hana ʻana i kahi huakaʻi hoʻomaopopo lehulehu e ʻokoʻa ana mai ka ola mama o nā kūlanakauhale hou. Manaʻo ka hoʻolālā ʻana e hāʻawi i kahi pakele no ka wā pōkole a me ka hoʻomanaʻo ʻana i ka waiwai o ka kaulike, ka noho pono ʻana, a me ka ʻike kūlokowaka.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā Awakening Ka Ala: ʻIke Hoʻokomo e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This design provides an immersive experience in the Amazon, blending architecture, nature, and sensory perception. It awakens the senses with the sounds of water and the forest, fostering a deep connection with the ecosystem. The space offers a unique sensory experience, integrating touch, smell, and hearing for full immersion. The proposal stands out by emphasizing sustainability, biomimicry, and sensory engagement, making the landscape the focal point.
Dimensions & Packaging: The structure features a circular base with a diameter of 31,500 mm, ensuring stability and seamless integration with the natural environment. The main body has a diameter of 17,000 mm, creating a balanced and immersive space. With a total height of 14,000 mm, the design promotes natural ventilation and thermal comfort. Built with sustainable materials, the project employs low-impact assembly techniques, respecting the landscape and enhancing its sensory connection with the forest.
Tags: Amazon, sensory experience, sustainability, organic architecture, nature, bamboo, immersion, environmental design, forest, biomimicry
Production Technology: The project was developed with a biomimetic approach, integrating into the Amazon ecosystem through sustainable materials and low-impact construction techniques. Bamboo, chosen for its strength and flexibility, forms the main structure, while passive ventilation and natural lighting ensure thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The sensory immersion is enhanced by natural elements, such as the sounds of the forest and interaction with local textures and aromas.
Design Challenge: Although it is a fictional and unexecuted project, the biggest creative challenge was transforming the idea into a viable proposal that would integrate harmoniously with nature, respecting the Amazon forest and its cycles. The design conception involved overcoming limitations of local materials, such as bamboo, and developing solutions to minimize environmental impact. Additionally, creating an immersive environment, combined with research on sustainable technologies and production possibilities in a remote area, presented a significant obstacle in bringing this vision to life.
Research: The research focused on designing an immersive sensory experience in the Amazon rainforest, emphasizing sustainability and integration with nature. The goal was to create a proposal that respected natural cycles, used local materials, such as bamboo, and promoted environmental awareness. The methodology involved bibliographic research, environmental impact studies, and analysis of social contexts, aiming to foster a deeper connection with the ecosystem and create lasting change.
Inspiration: The inspiration for this project came from the search for a deeper connection with nature and the sensory experience it provides. In a world moving towards an increasingly technological future, it is crucial not to lose our bond with nature, especially with the Amazon, the heart of the world. The project integrates architecture with the ecosystem, using sustainable materials like bamboo, to minimize environmental impact and promote both sensory immersion and landscape preservation.
Project Duration: The project concept was developed between December 2024 and February 2025. The conceptual proposal is for Iquitos, an Amazonian region in Peru.
Operation Flow: The experience begins on the first floor, where the deeper, more immersive sound is created by a closed space receiving natural light from the ceiling. The space is adorned with plants and water flowing like a waterfall, connecting visitors to the sounds and sensations of a vibrant environment. The forest, alive and constantly in motion, is ever-present. On the second floor, the experience expands, offering a wide view of the river, which fades into the horizon, reinforcing the connection with nature and its grandeur.