Brazil.
Architect Eduardo Pimentel Pizarro has developed some strategies that can provide greater environmental comfort for residents of the favelas in Sao Paulo.
"When based on technical and environmental studies, the way of putting bricks and blocks brings more ventilation to the environment and protects from direct sunlight, which leads to an increase in environmental quality in the interior space of residences. For a west façade, for example, the occupant can use a certain type of solution and a certain type of brick. At the same time, building facades can stimulate a number of activities in outer space, such as a retractable seat, or a platform to share objects by the community," Pizarro said.
The architect relied on materials already used by residents such as solid bricks, hollow ceramic blocks and concrete blocks.
The other strategy is a bit more complex, as it would require an investment in strengthening building structures and participatory management of residents and government. Pizarro explains that most buildings have three or four floors. Each floor, use and access are independent. "The proposal is to create sections on some surfaces for the passage of ventilation, access to the sun and the creation of public spaces. It would be necessary to move the residents up the building or to the next one and remove all the walls of this floor," he suggests.
According to Pizarro, this strategy is a way to provide more environmental comfort in the slums, keeping the population in place and with the same way of life. "Some studies show that many of the residents who move to urbanization projects, don't get used to it and end up coming back," he explains.
Pizarro's proposal won the LafargeHolcim Forum Student Poster Competition, held in Detroit, USA. Uu last April.
Source: jornal.usp.br/
