Photographer: USINA CTAH | ArchDaily

Building Community Amid Scarcity: The Experience of Usina CTAH

Giovana Martino — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 04:43:00 +0000

The vulnerability found in countries on the periphery of capitalism, such as Brazil, has wide-ranging consequences that are evident both in statistics and in how the occupied territory is shaped. Peripherization and the struggle to access fundamental rights—such as healthcare, education, and housing—are among these consequences. Addressing these challenges falls to organized social groups striving to build alternatives within this context, as seen in social movements and Usina CTAH, an architectural practice dedicated to providing technical assistance to organized social groups.

What is a mutirão?

Giovana Martino — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 18:15:00 +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.

Women and the self-managed construction site

Giovana Martino — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:48:00 +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.

What can architecture learn from Paulo Freire?

Giovana Martino — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:45:00 +0000

One of the most important theorists of the twentieth century, Brazilian educator Paulo Freire would have turned 100 on September 19, 2021, had he not passed away in 1997. A month later, Brazil celebrates Teachers' Day on October 15, even as public education faces massive federal budget cuts, continuing a long-standing process of systemic decline in the country's educational system. Against this backdrop, Freire has become one of the world's most widely read and cited theorists in the humanities. Despite this global recognition, his theory has yet to be fully integrated into the literature of architecture and urbanism. Here, we propose a brief reflection on how architectural practices can engage with Paulo Freire's theory.

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

Giovana Martino — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:30:00 +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.