Photographer: Isac Marcelino | ArchDaily

Women and the self-managed construction site

Giovana Martino — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Often overlooked or dismissed, gender inequality in architecture has consequences for both women and their careers, as well as for the spaces and products created. There is, however, a niche within the construction industry that contradicts this logic, proposing to create a more egalitarian workspace. This article reflects on this inequality and how it is challenged by self-managed practices.

"The most important thing is the people, these people who fight": Paula Constante on housing movements in São Paulo

Giovana Martino — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 08:00:00 +0000

In late 2020, the documentary Os Mutirões da Leste 1 was released, chronicling the history of the Movimento Sem Terra Leste 1 through each of its projects. The documentary was produced and directed by Paula Constante, who describes herself as a “mother, practicing documentarian, architect, and holder of a master's degree from FAUUSP.” By telling the story of one of the most active social movements in the city of São Paulo, Constante and MST Leste 1 show us the importance of struggle, the collective, affectivity, and the responsibility we must bring to our professional practice. We had the opportunity to speak with Paula and discuss this experience.

What is a mutirão?

Giovana Martino — Sat, 22 May 2021 20:00:00 +0000

This article explores a term widely used to describe self-organized collective labor, but which also carries a meaning of anti-hegemonic struggle when used as a synonym for self-managed projects. The practice of mutirões prompts a reflection on the importance of collective work and grassroots struggle, and how architectural practice and civil construction relate to these themes.

AD Classics: Two Houses in Paraty / Julio Katinsky + Ohtake

Isac Marcelino — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 06:00:00 +0000

In the 1960s, before the Rio-Santos Highway existed, two friends and São Paulo-based architects, Julio Katinsky and Ruy Ohtake joined forces to purchase adjacent lots in the historic city of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro. This partnership aimed to share a garden and design homes with no walls or divisions between the properties. Embracing the poetry of an iconic historic city and moved by the exuberant nature of the Atlantic Forest, the materials and construction system were determined by traditional, locally available resources, such as stone, wood, clay tiles, and some masonry. Likewise, local labor was employed for the construction.