The project Habitar Mandela – social housing in tune with nature, developed by students of the Architecture and Urban Planning program at the School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning (Fecfau) at Unicamp, is among the 30 selected—from more than 130 entries from around the world—for exhibition during the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial (14th BIAsp), themed "Extremes – Architectures for a Hot World." The posters, videos, and models can be viewed until October 19 at the Oca Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, in São Paulo.
For the International Competition of Schools of Architecture and Urbanism of 14th BIAsp, promoted by the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB-SP), the Unicamp team – formed by Ana Flávia Gomes, Bianca Zampronio, Giane Barzagli, Julia Rodrigues, Leonardo Pecht and Pedro Henrique Sendretti – presented a proposal for sustainable social housing on land adjacent to the current residential area. Nelson Mandela, in the municipality of Campinas. The selection sought ideas that addressed the following axes: "Preserving forests and reforesting cities," "Living with water," "Renovating more and building green," "Circulating and accessing together with renewable energy," and "Ensuring climate justice and social housing."
The students developed the project in the first semester of 2024, during the course "Theory and Design IV: Architecture of Social Interest," under the guidance of Professor Silvia Mikami. The course is an extension program and has historically worked in partnership with communities. Before reaching the Biennial, the proposal had already passed an internal selection process organized by Fecfau itself, becoming the course's representative at the event. According to the professor, the positive result may encourage other students to participate in initiatives like this.
The teacher highlighted that the initiative also gives visibility to the community's struggle Nelson Mandela and the issue of social housing. "Architecture and urban planning are largely responsible for this shift that cities need to make. We need to consider climate adaptation issues for this type of land use—including considering the urban circular economy, reducing waste generation, adaptive design, and learning more from what we call Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)."
Architecture at the service of climate change
In the course, students worked in partnership with the professor's Ser Urbano extension project, also focused on the community. Nelson MandelaThe class visited the site and listened to residents to understand their needs, with support from community leaders. With the support of other professors in the course, the students had the opportunity to consider projects closer to the feasibility of execution, not just as a theoretical exercise. "This brings the University much closer to the people; it's no longer a distant research project. It's increasingly necessary to involve the people for whom and with whom we are designing."
The selected project includes solutions for the terrain's topography (buildings at different altitudes and terraces on the hillsides) and urban drainage. "We used rain gardens and bioswales, which absorb water and can filter impurities—what we call phytoremediation," said Mikami. Furthermore, the block layout allowed for the creation of urban enjoyment areas between the buildings, where small public squares will be installed.
The apartments were designed to be accessible and house commercial and service activities. The team also prioritized the use of materials that aid in thermal control, such as ceramic structural masonry. "This promotes rapid construction, without significant waste, because it doesn't use pillars and beams," said Mikami. The planned neighborhood also features leisure areas, a community center, a lookout point, and a bridge connecting it to the neighboring Eldorado dos Carajás neighborhood.
The professor argued that implementing social housing with different construction standards not only improves the quality of life of families but also the city. Mikami emphasized that Fecfau, as a public university, is available to collaborate on the design of this type of solution.
Watch the video submitted to present the project to the competition:
Student testimonials
"We've been working on this project for over a year. It started as part of a social housing course, and we've been refining the proposal ever since. From finding out about the competition to delivering the project, it took approximately four months, so it was quite hectic," says Giane Barzagli.
"We're proud of the way we presented the project; we thought of everyone who will visit the exhibition. The model is playful and humanized, inviting people to take a look," says Julia Rodrigues.
"The best part was the learning we gained from the group experience. We were able to develop the project's topics very well. We also learned—like mentoring—from the teacher, who spent a lot of time with us and explained many things beyond the classroom," explains Pedro Henrique Sendretti.
"We put into practice and improved upon what we had already learned in college. At the Biennial, we participated in discussions with leading figures in architecture and learned how to improve the lives of those in need," says Leonardo Pecht.
"The topography of the place, which is very steep and has a river, was one of the challenges. Dealing with different scales was also a challenge—starting with a single unit, then several dwellings, and then on a more urban scale—in addition to the climate issues. All of this was very challenging, but also very enriching for our learning," explains Ana Flávia Gomes.
"In the current context, it's crucial to think about sustainability. We see what's happening around the world, what happened in the South [of the country], with the rains. Water was a theme of our project, how to mitigate these effects [of climate change] on the lives of the population, on the life of the city," says Bianca Zampronio.
Cover photo:
