Entre camadas invisíveis: uma análise da arquitetura corporativa do Superlimão

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate how corporate spaces that expand their architectural conception toward the humanization of environments foster meaningful appropriation by users, activating what the author defines as invisible layers—a concept developed in this research to designate the intangible dimensions of space related to forms of occupation, social dynamics, flows of interaction, cultural and identity meanings, atmospheres, and perceived sensations. The hypothesis is that organizations and architects aligned with this design awareness produce more collaborative environments that are more conducive to the activation of these layers in everyday use. Methodologically, the research adopts a theoretical-reflective approach anchored in phenomenology, whose origins lie in the philosophical reflections of Heidegger and Bachelard on dwelling and the poetics of space. Within the architectural field, this perspective incorporates authors such as Juhani Pallasmaa, whose writings bring phenomenology closer to contemporary architectural production by emphasizing sensory and atmospheric perception, and Herman Hertzberger, whose work, while dialoguing with phenomenology in highlighting the active role of users, also articulates principles of structuralism by conceiving architecture as an open framework to be continuously completed through daily use. This framework, combined with Gillian Rose’s compositional method for visual analysis, supports the research strategies, which include on-site observations with the embodied experience of the researcher (user-observer), analytical collages, photographic surveys, and interviews with architects and users, carried out in the headquarters of Superlimão and the Ampfy agency, both in São Paulo. To deepen the identification of the presence and activation of the invisible layers, the analysis considered a set of attributes capable of revealing how spaces become meaningful in everyday use. Among them, decorative elements, visual identity, diversity, and conviviality stand out, as well as modes of participation and representativeness that emerge in the social dynamics of the environments. These aspects, methodologically articulated, function as indicators of how users appropriate spaces, assign meanings, and transform architecture into a shared experience. The results indicate that the Superlimão headquarters displays greater openness, flexibility, and an “unfinished” character, encouraging spontaneous appropriations and multiple modes of use; whereas Ampfy, though more structured by a predefined layout, activates invisible layers by stimulating participation, fostering conviviality, and reinforcing identity, thereby promoting meaningful uses and affective bonds. It is concluded that the attempt to integrate sensitive dimensions from the design gesture to everyday experience expands the capacity of corporate spaces to generate meaning, strengthen bonds of belonging, and promote well-being, reaffirming architecture as a poetic, ethical, and culturally situated practice. The research contributes conceptually, by defining and operationalizing invisible layers, and methodologically, by presenting the protocol of collages and attributes, opening avenues for future investigations into subjectivity, work, and sensitive perception in corporate environments.