Speakers
Description
Housing is a fundamental human right, essential to the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. However, the global housing crisis, driven by rapid urbanization, the decline of public housing, and the financialization of housing, has transformed housing from a social need into a commodity. With over 1.6 billion people worldwide lacking adequate housing—a figure projected to rise to 3 billion by 2030 (World Economic Forum)—the cost of urban land continues to skyrocket. This raises critical questions about who owns urban space and how its value should be regulated.
This paper explores a design studio methodology aimed at developing solutions to the housing crisis in two key Brazilian cities: Recife and São Paulo. The studio focuses on two contested urban sites, where issues of income inequality and unplanned urbanization are prevalent. In both locations, grassroots movements have challenged real estate exploitation and advocated for the right to public space and affordable housing. The methodology encourages the integration of collective housing and public spaces, proposing that these elements be treated as intrinsically linked.
The design process begins with a perceptual analysis of urban morphology, which is translated into various forms of representation, such as hand sketches, axonometric projections, and stereotomic models. These initial explorations evolve into more formal studies of local building types and adaptive grids. As the design progresses, residential units are developed as building blocks that interact with the dynamics of each site. By further drawing from case studies and environmental analysis, the studio challenges the market-driven model of vertical housing by emphasizing local customs, enhancing street-level interactions, and promoting climate-sensitive, porous architecture.
The Recife site, Cabanga, is a blend of new developments, informal settlements, and government-built housing from the 1930s. In 2015, an informal settlement began occupying a public stretch of the neighborhood, coinciding with plans for a large market-driven project called Projeto Novo Recife. This development, which sought to replace public spaces with luxury real estate, sparked the Movimento Ocupe Estelita, a grassroots campaign that gained global attention for its opposition to the project. Despite the movement’s efforts, luxury skyscrapers were built, displacing residents of informal settlements. Meanwhile, the city is planning zoning changes to increase density in the area, raising concerns that the needs of vulnerable populations may be overlooked.
In São Paulo, the studio focused on Bixiga, a historically dense neighborhood in the Bela Vista district. Known for its Italian immigrant population, Bixiga was one of the city's most densely packed areas by the 1920s, with narrow streets lined with cortiços (subdivided rental units). The neighborhood was further divided in the 1970s when the elevated highway Minhocão ("Big Worm") was built, severing the community. The studio’s focal point was a vacant lot next to the Teatro Oficina, an experimental theater designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi. Bo Bardi’s design integrated the surrounding street life and natural elements, blurring the boundaries between architecture and the urban environment. Activists in Bixiga have long fought to use the vacant lot as a public park, echoing the struggles in Recife for the preservation of public space.
Both Recife and São Paulo represent critical sites in the ongoing struggle for equitable housing and public space. The design studio methodology offers a platform to explore innovative solutions to these challenges, advocating for more inclusive, community-centered urban environments that respect both social and environmental needs.
| Keywords | Housing crisis - Contested sites - Collective housing |
|---|
