Architecture for Cities in Contemporary Latin America: distances and approximations between São Paulo and Medellín

• Grant number: 17/26688-0
• Support type: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Fundamentals of Architecture and Urbanism
• Principal researcher: Luiz Antonio Recaman Barros
• Grantee: Mariana Martinez Wilderom Chagas
• Supervisor abroad: Tom Avermaete
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (FAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/19847-9 - Architecture for cities in contemporary Latin America: differences and similarities between Sao Paulo and Medellin, BP.DR

Abstract

This research proposal presents the working plan for an Internship Research Abroad [BEPE] at TUDelft, supervised by Prof. Tom Avermaete that should help to overcome the methodological challenges of the doctoral research Architecture for cities in Latin America: distances and approximations between São Paulo and Medellín, The main research consists of a theoretical-critical investigation that analyses 20 contemporary case studies in São Paulo and Medellín. This empirical content is the basis for an analysis on the discipline of Architecture and Urbanism [A&U] and its relation with the urban realm based on 5 analytical axes:: (1) The periphery of the city as a result of the accelerated growth of the last decades; (2) The issue of social housing; (3) The inner city transformation; (4) Privileged axes of private capital investments; (5) Urban Infrastructure and the city context. The doctoral exchange at TUDelft should help to consolidate a methodology that stablishes a link between "Theoretical Strategies" and "Empirical Strategies". This depends precisely on the capacity to relate the main themes of the research - reflecting the specificities of Brazilian and Colombian modern traditions - to the social function of architecture, the public realm, and the everyday life. The specific internship contributions for the research should be: to improve and consolidate the theoretical-critical basis developed for this research until now; to develop categories of design knowledge, able to provide a basis for the comparative analysis of the contemporary architectural thinking and practice noticed in the case studies; to develop a table that systematizes the design analysis of the case studies and subsidies the development and writing of the thesis remaining chapters.