Title: Low-income multifamily housing design in Sao Paulo, Brazil: the need for humanising concepts

Authors: R.R.M.P. Barros; S.A.M.G. Pina

Addresses: Department of Architecture and Construction, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Design, State University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Av. Albert Einstein, 951, Campinas-SP, Brazil. ' Department of Architecture and Construction, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Design, State University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Av. Albert Einstein, 951, Campinas-SP, Brazil

Abstract: The study appraises the relation between humanising concepts and the spatial quality of low-income multifamily housing design. A sample of award-winning design projects for the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil is analysed from the point of view of concepts inspired by a selection of patterns from among those identified by Christopher Alexander and colleagues in 1977. The proposed concepts represent qualities of the built environment that can recover a sense of urbanity and a sense of dwelling. Part of the design sample still owes a debt to modernist precepts that contribute to the perception of dehumanised environments. Especially through architectural education, it is hoped that the concepts can contribute to reflection on design methodologies and practice regarding the quality of low-income multifamily housing with regard to satisfying varied human needs.

Keywords: humanising concepts; low-income housing; multifamily housing; patterns; Christopher Alexander; Sao Paulo; Brazil; housing design; spatial quality; built environment; human needs.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2011.043360

Journal of Design Research, 2011 Vol.9 No.4, pp.301 - 320

Received: 29 Apr 2010
Accepted: 06 Aug 2010
Published online: 16 Oct 2014 *

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