In the Campo Limpo neighborhood, in the southern part of São Paulo, a former municipal sports club has found a new purpose. With nearly 84,000 m² transformed into high-quality public space, Morumbi Sul Park stands as one of the most significant urban projects in the city in recent years. Moreover, it brings an innovation that goes beyond architecture: it is the first urban park in São Paulo to use mass timber as its structural system.
Supplied by Urbem, the mass timber is present in the main structures of the park, including beams, columns, and the roof of its facilities. More than an aesthetic choice, this is a technical, environmental, and social decision that helps redefine what an urban park can offer to the public.
the project: a park to everyone
With an investment of approximately R$ 15 million, Morumbi Sul Park was designed to be a truly democratic public facility. For this reason, it brings together sports courts, an outdoor gym, a multipurpose pavilion, scenic trails with panoramic views, playgrounds, communal areas, and a dedicated space for pets, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds.
Beyond its variety of uses, all pathways and facilities were designed with accessibility as a core principle. In this way, the park functions as a genuinely inclusive public space, not merely a symbolic one.
The site also plays an important role in local biodiversity. The park is home to more than 100 plant species and around 39 bird species, including araucaria trees. As a result, in addition to serving the community, the space actively contributes to maintaining an ecological corridor in the southern part of the city.
why mass timber in a urban park?
The choice of mass timber for Morumbi Sul Park is a direct response to the real challenges of construction in public environments. By using GLT (Glued Laminated Timber) in the main structures, the project delivers performance, durability, and visual harmony with the natural landscape. At the same time, the construction process becomes cleaner, more efficient, and far less disruptive to the surrounding urban area.
For parks and communal spaces, therefore, mass timber offers advantages that go well beyond aesthetics:
- Natural environmental comfort: mass timber structures help regulate temperature, creating more pleasant conditions especially in covered outdoor areas.
- Integration with the landscape: mass timber blends organically with green surroundings, complementing rather than competing with the natural environment.
- Lower-impact construction: prefabricated components arrive on site ready to assemble, reducing waste, noise, and heavy machinery in the surrounding area.
- Structural lightness: mass timber structures can weigh up to one-fifth of equivalent concrete structures, making them ideal for sensitive soils or sites with load restrictions.
- Long-term performance: when properly specified and protected, mass timber delivers a service life fully compatible with public infrastructure maintenance cycles.
Real susteinability, not just a concept
One of the most important aspects of Morumbi Sul Park is what it represents in terms of environmental impact. Mass timber stores carbon throughout its entire service life, directly contributing to the reduction of construction-related emissions. Furthermore, unlike conventional materials such as concrete and steel, it produces low emissions during manufacturing and can be reused or recycled at the end of its life cycle.
In Urbem’s case, the timber used comes from controlled forests with full traceability and responsible management. This means the project’s sustainability begins before the construction site even opens, ensuring that environmental commitments are reflected in actual practice.
a milestone for Public space construction
Morumbi Sul Park is the first application of mass timber in an urban park in São Paulo. This pioneering step, in turn, opens an important path for rethinking how the city can build its collective spaces with greater responsibility and quality.
In a context where cities are actively seeking more sustainable, efficient, and human-centered solutions, the use of mass timber in parks and public facilities represents a concrete and scalable direction. The project demonstrates, therefore, that it is possible to combine technical rigor, environmental commitment, and a high-quality experience for those who use the space.
For Urbem, being part of Morumbi Sul Park reinforces mass timber’s role as a viable and scalable solution for the Brazilian construction industry, whether in high-end residential projects or in public spaces that serve entire communities.
urbem: mass timber for projects that matter
As the mass timber supplier for Morumbi Sul Park, Urbem brings rigorous quality control, advanced industrial processes, and growing production capacity to every project. For this reason, projects supported by Urbem deliver:
- Proven structural performance
- Constructive efficiency through prefabrication
- Sustainability with certified traceability
- Technical predictability at every stage
If you are developing a park, public facility, or communal space and want to understand how mass timber can contribute to your project, get in touch with Urbem.
