Appraisal of urban rehabilitation literature and projects, including a glossary of terms and a preliminary set of indicators characterising LUDA

LUDA is a research project of Key Action 4 "City of Tomorrow & Cultural Heritage" of the programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission

Dois tempos, dois espaços: a educação retratada no plano dos centenários (1940/50) e no projecto DEEB (1960/70)

RESUMO: Esta investigação é fundamentalmente um trabalho baseado numa análise documental e arquitectónica de duas escolas primárias construídas em duas épocas diferentes, mas ambas integradas num mesmo período político. Saber se o Projecto do Plano dos Centenários e o Projecto DEEB se adequaram às realidades educativas, no seu percurso temporal, foi o ponto de partida para uma pesquisa geral sobre a situação económica, política e social do país, desde a década de 1940 até finais da década de 1960, possibilitando a caracterização e comparação daqueles Projectos na sua interligação com as concepções educativas e a construção escolar. Fez-se a consulta das obras e dos projectos da época em estudo com o objectivo de analisar e interpretar o processo de criação, mas também de situar historicamente os factos arquitectónicos na sua intersecção com os educativos, com vista à concretização de uma pesquisa no tempo, de dois espaços, ou seja, desde um Projecto-Tipo de uma escola primária, em Cascais, do Plano dos Centenários até ao Projecto-Piloto da escola primária de Mem Martins com base no Projecto DEEB. Por outro lado, as contribuições a nível nacional e internacional trouxeram elementos de mudança e constituíram-se como referências básicas na transformação geral da arquitectura e da pedagogia portuguesa. ABSTRACT: This investigation is mainly a piece based in an architectonic and documental analysis of two elementary schools, both built in different periods, but belonging to the same political regime. Knowing if the Plano dos Centenários (Centenary’s Project) and the Projecto DEEB (DEEB Project) fit the educative realities, in terms of time, was the starting point for a general research about the economical, political, and social situation of the Country from the beginning of the 40s till the end of the 60s, thus allowing to describe and compare those projects in terms of interconnection with the educative ideas and the school building. With the purpose of not only analyzing and explaining how it started, but also to historically locate the architectonic events in their intersection with the educative ones, the building sites and the projects of the period being studied were examined, in order to timeresearch both spaces, i.e. since a Type-Project of and elementary school, in Cascais, from the Plano dos Centenários (Centenary’s Project) till the Test-School of the Mem Martins’ elementary school, based in the Projecto DEEB (DEEB Project). On the other hand, both National and International contributions have introduced changing elements, which became essential references in the general transformation of the Portuguese architecture and Pedagogy.

Research in Architecture: Looking Backward and Forward: Forty-Year Experience in Architectural Research at the Faculty of Architecture STU

The introduction of my contribution contains a brief information on the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (FA STU) and the architectural research performed at this institution. Schemes and priorities of our research in architecture have changed several times since the very beginning in early 50’s. The most significant change occurred after “the velvet revolution” in 1989. Since 1990 there have been several sources to support research at universities. The significant part of my contribution is rooted in my own research experience since the time I had joined FA STU in 1975 as a young architect and researcher. The period of the 80’s is characterized by the first unintentional attempts to do “research by design” and my “scientific” achievements as by-products of my design work. Some of them resulted in the following issues: conception of mezzo-space, theory of the complex perception of architectural space and definition of basic principles of ecologically conscious architecture. Nowadays I continue my research by design within the application of so called solar envelope in urban scale with my students.

Research by Design is up and running

This paper explores the context of and developments in Research by Design (RbD) as currently developing in Schools of Architecture. It starts from noticing that the design studio is the core of the bachelor and master curriculum. Extending this position to PhD research implies the search for research where the design process is the main method of researching and creating knowledge and understanding. These developments connect to similar developments in the arts. Mode 1 and mode 2 knowledge, reflection and other knowledge processes are the base for developing knowledge for the field of architecture when practice and designing are the main method of research. The paper concludes with observing many PhD and research projects building on design activities and practice are currently under way and are supported by academia. They produce a specific type of knowledge and understanding, usually opening up problems and exploring boundaries.

Architecture & Research: a possible structure

This article results from three conferences organized by the research project titled “Architectural research framework” developed by the research center Architectural Lab – LabART – of the Lusófona University, and also by my personal experiences and dialogs with other members of the EAAE research committee. Architectural research always existed, but only recently some major questions have emerged, by the time that Europe started the last universitary reform on the 80’s. Two aspects are crucial in understanding the problematic that we are referring to. On the one hand we verify that the architectural teaching should maintain the articulation and close relationship between the theoretical and practical aspects. On the other hand, there is a need to confer academic degrees, as the MsC and PhD’s in the Faculties of Architecture. Inevitably, discussions began about the scientificity of architecture (its grounding), the types of research, methodological models, as well as on the evaluation criteria and the quality of research, or the relevance of the results. We will try to approach some of these discussions, and by the end, establish a basic structure that allows us to obtain an open model for research in architecture.

Design factors affecting the success of settlement upgrading projects. Favela Bairro Program, Rio de Janeiro

One of the main stated objectives of the Favela Bairro program was to allow squatter settlements to become part of the formal city. The focus of the study is to assess how different project solutions in the Favela Bairro program have used urban design tools to achieve this objective. A subsequent question concerns the extent to which urban design factors helped to improve the social integration of the settlements, and specifically to overcome poverty and exclusion conditions.This bring us to a another group of problems related to indicators to measure the attainment of these objectives from four perspectives: Spatial, Social, Economical and Political (citizenship and participation)This analysis highlights the major difficulties confronted by the design teams, and allows pinpointing the positive and negative impacts of the interventions on the communities and the city

O círculo de eranos: a experiência da educação do campo ou como os contextos podem gerar

RESUMO: Estamos a vivenciar dois fatos paradoxais: de um lado, uma organização da escola instituída que gera a autoconservação das práticas do professor e, do outro, tendências nos plano científico e do discurso político que apelam ao retorno ao ator - que reconhece o professor como sujeito de seu saber e fazer. Foi neste contexto que se realizou a pesquisa subjacente a esta tese sobre a formação docente num projeto de escolarização que se fundamenta numa perspetiva de educação popular contra-hegemónica, edificada, no Brasil, como ‗educação do campo‘. Buscou-se compreender a vivência docente, suas perceções e aprendizagens. Desenvolveu-se a investigação a partir das questões: é possível, no contexto atual de mudanças sociais direcionadas ao processo cada vez maior de individuação docente, a formação em democracia participativa numa experiência de educação popular? Como ela se estabelece? O que ela nos ensina? A metodologia assentou na observação participativa das reuniões de planeamento, avaliação e replaneamento dos(as) professores(as) e coordenadores, numa proposta local de educação do campo - do Programa Nacional de Educação na Reforma agrária. As reuniões e escolarização ocorreram em Ilhéus/Bahia/Brasil, durante os anos de 2005-2006. As referências teóricas para a análise empírica do material coletado foram: a perspetiva da reflexão-ação emancipatória de Carr e Kemmis (1998), que compreende as instituições educacionais criadas por pressões sociais e políticas; e a conceção de emancipação desenvolvida por Freire e por Habermas, assente na ação comunicativa/dialógica. Para a análise utilizou-se o método da Análise Crítica de Discurso (ACD), cuja principal referência foi Fairclough. Nas narrativas das reuniões percebeu-se o desenvolvimento de uma polidez positiva – atos de fala que demonstram o falante desejando estabelecer o consenso com ouvinte; assinalada por estruturas modais que direcionaram para a abertura de relacionamento e participação mútua entre professores(as) e coordenadores do projeto. O conteúdo manifesto das falas amparou-se numa perspetiva de educador que se constrói na prática, e, ao mesmo tempo, a constrói, mas que, entretanto, necessita de aportes teóricos críticos no processo de embate epistémico entre os saberes da vida quotidiana concreta e os saberes científicos. A função interpessoal foi expressa pela arquitetura dialógica, permitindo um processo de construção mútua de escola e professores(as). Pode-se afirmar que a prática analisada indica que nestes tempos, de controlo intenso das instituições escolares, de competição, de solidão, é obviamente necessária a organização coletiva de professores (as), de movimentos sociais e universidades, amparados e financiados por ordenamentos legais (conquistados pela população), para consolidar e ampliar projetos críticos de escolarização, mudando, reciprocamente, escolas e professores(as). ABSTRACT: We are experiencing two paradoxical facts: the organization of the established school which generates the self-preservation of teaching practices and, on the other hand, there is a political and scientific trend that claims the return of the ―actor‖ – the teacher being the subject of his knowledge and actions. It was therefore in this context, that the underlying research for this Thesis was conducted. It concerns to the teacher training in an educational project which is based on the perspective of a counter-hegemonic and popular education available to people at the Brazilian countryside – also called ―Field Education‖. We searched the understanding of the educational experience, its perceptions and learning. The investigation was developed from two fundamental questions: Is it possible to have the experience of a popular education system in a functioning democracy, at the light of the recent social changes that lead to a greater individuation? How is it established? What can we learn from it? The methodology was settled on the participant observation of the planning and evaluation meetings of teachers and coordinators of the National Education Program in the Land Reform in Brazil. These meetings occurred in Ilheús- Bahia- Brazil during the years of 2005-2006. The theoretical references to the empirical analyses of the material collected were: the perspective of the reflection – action emancipative of Carr & Kemmis (1998), which comprehends the educational institutions created by social and political pressures; and the conception of emancipation developed by Freire and Habermas, which is settled on the communicative-dialogical action. For the analysis it was elected the method of Critical Analysis of Discourse (CAD),which main reference was Fairclough. During the account of the meetings it was noticed the development of a positive politeness – which reveals the desire of the speaker to reach an agreement with the listener, signalized by modal structures that directed to an open and participative relationship between teachers and coordinators of the project. The manifest content of the speeches was sustained by the educator perspective, which is built on the daily practice. However, it needs some basic theoretical contributions to the epistemic struggle between concrete ordinary life and the scientific knowledge. The interpersonal function was expressed by dialogical architecture, allowing a mutual process of construction that involves the school and the teachers. The practice analyzed indicates that, more than ever, due to the massive control of the institutions, the extreme competition and solitude, the collective organization of the teachers, the social movements and the universities is necessary. They should be supported and financed by legal systems to consolidated and amplify important education projects, bringing necessary changes for schools and teachers reciprocally.