VIRTUAL Barcelona
Abstract
The majority of the Portuguese building stock was constructed after the 70s. These constructions, often clustered in degraded urban suburbs, present more anomalies and lower construction quality due to the lack of legislation and technical knowledge. Moreover, these buildings are characterized by high energy consumption, living discomfort, and seismic vulnerability. The rehabilitation of buildings, in particular social housing, is crucial to adapt the constructions to the current needs and enhance residents’ comfort. In this regard, the characterization and diagnosis of social housing buildings are essential to understand the current state of the buildings and address the residents’ needs. This paper focuses on the analysis of eight social housing buildings in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. Using all the information collected, in contrast with onsite assessment – information from residents, drawings, and photography – it was possible to gather information about the constructive system, the function and uses of the buildings, and the quality of life of the residents. By analyzing the different social housing, it is possible to identify similarities in terms of materials, interior organization, and anomalies in the building’s envelope. This sample can be extrapolated to a broader context of the current state of social housing buildings in Portugal. Understanding social housing is crucial to develop adequate solutions aiming to improve the buildings’ performance and residents’ quality of life.
Cláudio Meireis, architect (2022, School of Architecture, Art, and Design, University of Minho – EAAD_UM) with an internship at PROD Arquitetura & Design (2022-2023). Currently pursuing a PhD at EAAD_UM under the MIT Portugal Program scholarship (since January 2023) in Sustainable Cities. Also engaged as a researcher at the Investigation Project R2U – Timber Modular Systems. Interest in construction and sustainability, with a focus on building envelopes and wood.
Rui Ferreira, architect (2018, School of Architecture, Art and Design of University of Minho (EAAD-UM). Since then, he have a particularly active work as a researcher (2018-2023, Study Centre of EAAD-UM), where it was possible link the start of the professional practice with a strong research component. He participated in different nature projects and scales from the redesign of public space (Taipas Civic Centre Redevelopment Project, in Guimarães), the refurbishment of heritage buildings (Rehabilitation of the Arquinho and Alto Factory, in Guimarães) and the support organising exhibitions and publishing some books. Is currently a PhD student at EAAD-UM, and a researcher at the Investigation Project R2U – Timber Modular System.
Carlos Maia, architect (1995, Faculdade de Arquitetura Universidade do Porto – FAUP, Porto), with a Master’s in Urbanism (1997, Escola Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona, Universidade Politécnica de Catalunya – ETSAB-UPC, Barcelona), a Master’s in Landscape Architecture (1998, Escola Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona, Universidade Politécnica de Catalunya – ETSAB-UPC, Universidade de Girona -UG, Girona), and a PhD (2018, Escola Arquitetura, Arte e Design da Universidade do Minho -EAAD_UM, Guimarães), thesis awarded by the Associação Portuguesa para a Reabilitação Urbana e Proteção do Património – APRUPP. He is a researcher of the LAB2PT an R&D unit of the University of Minho, and at the Investigation Project R2U – Timber Modular System; and a Professor at the EAAD_UM, where coordinated since 2006 different Design and Theory Disciplines related to Design Projects on Architecture, Building, and Construction Technology. With Marta Labastida founded, in 2000, Labastida&Maia, architects, together have worked on projects with different scopes and scales; mainly focused on themes of restoration of the built heritage, housing, and design of public space and landscape.