The dialogue between dwellers and architects about sustainable building materials: analyzing an action-research process

Abstract

This articlediscusses the application of action-research to architectural design and of the production of housing, involving the participation of dwellers and architectsresearchers. This process was developed in the rural settlement “Fazenda Pirituba” (Itapeva, State of São Paulo) as part of the research project entitled “Social housing in reforestation wood as an economical alternative for multiple uses of the forest”. The focus of this study was the dialogue between dwellers and architects about building systems that use preferably renewable materials, taking into consideration cultural, social and politic aspects, besides the economic the environmental ones. In this process, besides technical, environmental and economical issues, questions and conflicts related to the ideological and cultural dimensions emerged. The study concluded that such ideological and cultural dimensions must be incorporated in architectural design methods for housing in which there is participation of future dwellers.