Building, architecture, material, meanders of construction: Research into the building of the former Società Dante Alighieri for the production of digital documentation

• Grant number: 24/03806-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Architecture and Town Planning - Fundamentals of Architecture and Urbanism
• Principal Investigator: Maisa Fonseca de Almeida
• Grantee: Ana Júlia Paduan Tristante
• Host Institution: Instituto de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Carlos (IAU). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With global population growth and technological innovations in the 19th century, the arrival of immigrant builders in Brazil contributed to the modernization of cities. The Italian presence, both in rural-city migration and in railway construction, profoundly influenced the cities of the so-called "coffee cycle". This influx of immigrants contributed to intense urbanization, marked by new building technologies. However, this architectural production has often been neglected, labeled as eclectic architecture. A critical review and new theoretical perspectives are needed to broaden the understanding of these architectural expressions. In this context, of the construction of a cultural landscape and the production of a unique expression of architectural modernity, the research aims to collect, investigate and analyse historical and current information on the former headquarters of the Società Dante Alighieri (SSDA), now the Centre for Scientific Dissemination and Culture (CDCC) of the University of São Paulo, in order to systematize and manage its construction data. In this sense, the main objective of the research is to provide comprehensive data and information on the building, covering aspects such as architecture, design, construction system and interventions carried out over time. In a second stage of the research, it is proposed to systematize the data and information to produce a matrix, such as a database, supporting the production of digital documentation of architectural heritage, using the façade of the CDCC-USP building as a case study, through the use of digital technologies, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM). The use of parametric modeling programs has increased the quality and safety of intervention projects, allowing digital simulations of historic buildings. However, the field of historical heritage faces specific challenges, such as the need to provide organized and systematized content, and the application of methodologies in the production of architectural documentation and the collection of constructive and historical data in heritage buildings, differing from the strategies applied in the construction of new buildings. As a cultural asset listed by CONDEPHAAT, the CDCC building must be valued and preserved, so the production of a digital timeline and its availability on the internet are proposed as a means of disseminating information about the building and contributing to an understanding of its architectural, technical and historical evolution. In this way, the research seeks to provide significant contributions to the development of the first stages of a digital inventory methodology and data management related to built architectural heritage, and aims to support the formulation of preservation actions and policies, strengthening the maintenance, conservation and management of historic buildings of cultural value. The aim is to strengthen social and economic development and improve the quality of life of communities, and to contribute to actions that structure and promote knowledge of cultural heritage, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 in the field of arts and culture.