Case Study: Flávio Rolfsen Laurini achieves urban renewal and flood resilience in Hortolândia with VectorWorks

Renewing Brazil’s Hortolândia City with Hortolândia Viva

Flávio Rolfsen Laurini, an urban architect based in Campinas, Brazil, used his award-winning design practice and Vectorworks CAD tools to take on Hortolândia Viva, a government-backed renewal of Hortolândia. The project confronted severe environmental and social challenges—silted rivers and frequent flooding, degraded industrial land, and a lack of public amenities—while working under a fixed budget and unpredictable weather that even wiped out early construction work.

Laurini delivered a three‑part solution: the Chico Mendes Social‑Environmental Park, an 840‑meter leisure promenade with bikeways and facilities, and major Jacuba River drainage improvements including two flood‑containment ponds and canalization. Using Vectorworks Designer and Renderworks to manage sketches, topography, and DWG files for engineers, his team achieved precise, fast collaboration, stayed within budget, and completed parks and canals that immediately drew public use, increased green space and recreation, and greatly improved flood resilience and water storage for the city.

Flávio Rolfsen Laurini

Flávio Rolfsen Laurini