21/05/2021

IMPA meets with residents' associations regarding the campus.

IMPA presented the New Campus project to four residents' associations in Jardim Botânico and Horto this Friday (21), in another meeting with neighbors. IMPA representatives answered questions and queries from the Residents' Associations of Jardim Botânico (AMAJB), Horto Florestal, Alto Jardim Botânico and Rua Barão de Oliveira Castro. Participants in the meeting included the institute's general director, Marcelo Viana; the architect responsible for the project, Vinicius de Andrade, from Andrade Morettin Arquitetos; and the forestry engineer Marcelo de Carvalho, president of Biovert, the company contracted for land preparation. The full meeting is available on the institute's YouTube channel .

The Director-General of IMPA stated that a single complex with interconnected units will be created to expand the institute's academic and social capacity. Viana reported that the rigorous licensing process lasted six years, and "all requirements" were met before work began on the site. He mentioned the availability of an independent Ombudsman for the project, the holding of 13 meetings with residents, and the changes to the project based on requests from these neighbors – such as the elimination of an entire building and the reduction of the number of accommodations and parking spaces to the minimum allowed.

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In his presentation, Viana explained that the project will occupy only 3.5% of the total land, although legislation allows up to 10%, and will have a tree-lined corridor of at least 20 meters from the houses on Barão de Oliveira Castro street. In order to guarantee the water security of the region, there will be a rainwater retention pond and, at the request of Rio Águas, IMPA will build an external gallery that will safely drain rainwater.

The new campus will have 67 researchers' offices, 7 classrooms, an auditorium with 213 seats, 4 study rooms, computer labs, a data processing center, a 258m² virtual library, and 129 student housing units. “We believe in this project. It is a legacy for the city of Rio and the country. The licensing and construction are in strict compliance with the law. There were two anonymous complaints to the forestry police, who confirmed that everything is in order. IMPA is complying with all the rules and, above all, seeking to minimize the impact on neighbors and the environment,” stated the Director-General of IMPA.

“It’s an area that was deforested more than 50 years ago for quarrying. The local vegetation is secondary, and the new campus will be installed in an existing clearing,” said Viana. Forestry engineer Marcelo de Carvalho explained that half of the trees to be removed on the site are jackfruit trees, an invasive exotic species that has dominated the Tijuca Forest, and dead trees. “The Atlantic Forest law mandates that all invasive species be removed.” According to him, all the trees to be removed have individual authorization and none of them are endangered species.

“Every time we are going to carry out a removal, in addition to the removal authorization from SMAC (Municipal Environment Secretariat), we receive a map with all the trees marked. When we arrive at the site, the first thing we do is mark all the trees that are authorized. If there is any tree on the site that is not on the map, this tree is not removed. If there is a need to supplement the inventory, it is done and submitted to the secretariat for correction,” said the engineer.

Structure of the new campus

Viana presented the structure that the new campus will offer to students and researchers. “Those who circulate in academia, including institutions worldwide, know that student housing is part of a campus. This increases not only student comfort but also productivity. In our case, this issue is even more relevant because most students are from other states or other countries, but the scholarships [R $ 1,500 for master's students and R $ 2,200 for doctoral students] do not cover the cost of living in Rio de Janeiro.”

In response to a representative from Barão de Oliveira Castro street – who referred to the alleged use of “loopholes in the law” to approve the project and said that it “is not sustainable” – architect Vinícius de Andrade, author of the project and professor of Urbanism at Insper, explained that the presence of the campus “is not a loophole in the law”.

“I know the importance of countering sometimes unfounded claims. I want to make it very clear that IMPA being welcomed in the neighborhood is not a 'loophole in the law.' It is provided for in Rio's law. In ZR-1, teaching activities are 'welcomed and tolerated,' that's the term used in the law. There is absolutely no irregularity there, I want to make that very clear,” he said.

“Regarding the project's sustainability: this is not the first, but the fourth international sustainability award that my firm, Andrade Morettin Arquitetos, has received. I understand this subject somewhat and know what the criteria are, based on evidence. The jury consists of experts, and there is an international criterion, found in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, outlining the points that must be observed to be considered 'sustainable.' The IMPA project not only meets these criteria but competed [and won] against 238 projects from around the world. [The Lafarge Holcim award] is one of the most important sustainability awards in the world.”

Mario Esteves, representative of the Alto JB Residents' Association, and Sérgio Fontoura, from the Rua Barão de Oliveira Castro Residents' Association, asked if there had been a geological risk assessment of the project. “A highly qualified team was assembled, composed of geotechnical consultants specializing in the slopes of the river. The process underwent a geotechnical audit and was approved,” clarified Andrade. Viana emphasized that the project adheres to “objective facts,” following the opinion of the authorities best able to assess the terrain conditions, such as the Rio-Águas Foundation and GEO-RIO.

AMAJB defends the project.

Ana Julieta Carneiro, representative of the Jardim Botânico Residents Association (AMAJB), defended the project and stated that the new IMPA campus will bring benefits to the neighborhood.

“I took the project to the Technical Chamber of Green Areas, and the engineers who advised me said that the project has all the required licenses and is in compliance. IMPA has made its Ombudsman and contact channels available. We have to look to the future. It is an internationally renowned institution, important for Rio de Janeiro and for Brazil. I, as AMAJB, wish all problems were handled as IMPA has been doing! I am happy that it is their project and not that of some other construction company. AMAJB has been involved from the beginning, we gave our 'approval' and were present at the laying of the cornerstone. We think it will be good for the neighborhood.”

Health protocols

The meeting followed all health protocols, with social distancing between participants, mask use, hand sanitizer, and microphone sanitization.