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Numerous houses with platibanda (parapet) facades can be seen across urban and rural areas in the sertões of Bahia. Many of these are clad in porcelain tiles and feature iron grates alongside metal doors and windows. This recurring pattern can be understood as a cultural phenomenon: the constructions discussed here were documented in towns, districts, and villages across the municipalities of Monte Santo, Uauá, and Curaçá in 2019.

These facades feature graphic compositions created by those who build them in dialogue with the residents themselves. Bricklayers and owner-builders¹ arrange printed visual elements on the ceramic tiles laid across the surface. Additionally, iron grates are fixed onto the front plane, outlining the openings of most of the residences and commercial establishments studied.

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