Landscaping at Leopoldo 1201 Building
In São Paulo — one of the largest and most densely populated metropolises in the Southern Hemisphere, marked by rapid urbanization and a scarcity of green spaces — reintegrating vegetation into daily life has become an essential environmental strategy. As the city’s built density continues to expand, the demand for architectural solutions that bring nature back into the urban environment grows. In this context emerges the Leopoldo 1201 Building, a residential development that harmoniously integrates architecture and landscape design.
Located in the Itaim Bibi district — a neighborhood known for its high-rise density and prime real estate value, near Avenida Faria Lima, the city’s main financial artery — the project stands on Leopoldo Couto de Magalhães Júnior Street, just a few meters from Parque do Povo and the JK Iguatemi corporate complex.
Developed by Nortis, with architectural design by the firm Aflalo/Gasperini Arquitetos, the building was completed in 2021 and features 22 typical floors with 269 m² apartments, plus a 520 m² duplex penthouse. It also includes indoor and outdoor pools, leisure areas, and complete infrastructure. Rodrigo Oliveira Paisagismo designed the landscaping for the common areas and residential balconies.
The building’s volumetry stands out for the dynamic design of its slabs, whose exposed concrete planes tilt in varying directions, giving the tower a sense of movement. Metal railings follow these gestures, creating a distinctive architectural language.
On a site with limited dimensions and few possibilities for ground-level gardens, the project adopted a solution still uncommon in the city: vertical greening. Planters were integrated along the entire façade, following the contours of the slabs on every floor. This multiplication of greenery in height significantly increased the building’s vegetative presence, compensating for the scarcity of landscaped areas at ground level by making green a continuous and structuring layer of the architecture.
This strategy aligns with São Paulo’s Strategic Master Plan — an urban planning instrument that encourages, among other aspects, the incorporation of green infrastructure and sustainable practices in new developments.
The landscaping acts as a link between form, function, and nature. Although varied in design, the planters were dimensioned for adequate depth and width to support vegetation at height, taking into account factors such as sun exposure, wind patterns, and façade microclimates. The botanical selection balances resilience with diversity, predominantly featuring native Brazilian tropical plants alongside exotic species adapted to urban conditions. The compositions emphasize texture, density, and seasonal variation, creating a living façade that changes throughout the year.
To ensure the gardens perform effectively, a comprehensive technical system was developed. The planters are equipped with automated micro-drip irrigation fed by vertical networks integrated into the building’s infrastructure. The substrate used in the planters is formulated for high drainage capacity, moisture retention, and nutrient supply, promoting root growth while minimizing maintenance needs. Protected drains and inspection points enable efficient water flow, preventing clogs and facilitating upkeep. Regular maintenance of the greenery is integrated into the condominium’s operational routine.
Beyond their environmental function, the planters also provide thermal and acoustic comfort. They filter excess solar radiation, reduce surface temperatures, mitigate city noise, and enhance privacy. Each apartment has direct access to its suspended garden through wide balconies that extend almost the entire perimeter. Large sliding panels open onto the greenery, creating seamless transitions between interior and exterior. The vegetation acts as a buffer between private and public spaces, enhancing residents’ well-being.
On the first floor, the vegetation consists of small and medium-sized species adapted to transitional spaces and low maintenance. Highlights include white russelia (Russelia equisetiformis) with its pendulous flowers, goat’s beard grass (Aristida longiseta), and Jamaica lily turf (Liriope muscari) as ground cover. Compact shrubs such as mini cherry (Myrtus communis), mini pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira), and star jasmine (Jasminum nitidum) add texture and fragrance, while philodendrons such as Philodendron davidsonii and Philodendron xanadu provide density and volume.
From the 2nd to the 22nd floor, the vegetation creates a continuous living façade, alternating philodendrons (P. davidsonii and P. xanadu), white russelia, and goat’s beard grass. Ground covers like rabbit’s foot fern (Davallia fejeensis) and green lily turf ensure uniform coverage, while shrubs such as mini cherry, mini pittosporum, and star jasmine enhance textural diversity.
At street level, landscaping intensifies in a linear garden along the building’s base, integrated with the entrance hall and protected by wooden brise-soleils. This garden serves as a transition between urban space and lobby, offering pedestrians a softer, more pleasant street experience.
The plant selection at the ground level reflects a concern for botanical diversity, urban resilience, and visual composition. Native trees such as Golden Trumpet Tree (Handroanthus chrysotricha), White Ipê (H. roseo-alba), Purple Ipê (H. heptaphyla), and Mirindiba (Lafoensia glyptocarpa) contribute to biodiversity and shading. Fruit-bearing trees like uvaia (Eugenia pyriformis), jabuticaba (Myciaria trunciflora), and pitanga (Eugenia uniflora) foster a sensory connection for residents and reinforce the link to edible species.
Complementing the composition are small- and medium-sized shrubs such as green pleomele (Pleomele reflexa), strelitzia (Strelitzia augusta), cyclanthus (Cyclanthus bipartitus), moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), Bambusa multiplex, red torch ginger (Etlingera elatior), yellow jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi), and various philodendrons (P. undulatum, P. davidsonii, P. bipinnatifidum), adding texture and volumetric variation. Ground covers like peanut grass (Arachis repens), green lily turf, and rabbit’s foot fern reinforce the continuity of the landscaping system. This multi-layered palette balances scale, biodiversity, and visual dynamics, creating a richer environmental experience at the ground level.
By bringing greenery to the façades through overlapping and continuous planes, Leopoldo 1201 proposes a new way of articulating architecture, landscape, and city. This approach aligns with contemporary international practices redefining the role of vegetation in dense urban contexts. Like globally recognized green buildings, the project demonstrates that it is possible to build vertically without sacrificing nature.
