TeatroSilva: Brazil’s First Eco-Theater

The theatrical group TeatroSilva started in 2008, through the union of public school students and youngsters who live in the Tucuruvi, Jaçanã and Jova Rural areas, in São Paulo’s Northern outskirts. Sandro Baal Demarÿ and Juliana Pereira Felippe, the couple who idealized TeatroSilva, wanted to approach educational issues through the arts, acting and music.

Up until now, the group had been been using a room lent by a public school to undertake its activities. This led to  a series of restrictions, such as not being able to use the space during weekends or holidays, as well as having to deal with facilities which were often in precarious conditions. Now the school will undergo a major renovation and the room used by TeatroSilva will be demolished.

It is within this context that the need to find a new place to keep the project going emerged. Instead of looking for another school, Sandro and Juliana aimed higher and decided to build the new headquarters. With the aid of architects from FAU (The College of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo), they are planning a sustainable building which will employ bio-construction techniques, green rooftops, a pluvial water collection system and also wind and solar power generators. Moreover, all wood, glass, metal and plastic used in the building will come from post-consumer sources.

The building should be ready by the middle of 2011. When complete, the theater will also serve as a permaculture exhibit, allowing people to have access to information on how to apply permaculture techniques to their own houses and everyday life.