[RESTEC]

RESILIENCE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL TECHNOLOGY through digital instruments of APO and ATHIS

[Institutions] Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design (FAUeD) – Graduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism (PPGAU) – Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU);
[Period] 2025 – 2028
[Funding] CNPq No. 18/2025 – Research Productivity Grants

[Abstract] We live in dwellings that are constantly impacted by environmental, socioeconomic, and physical changes. However, Brazilian Habitações de Interesse Social (HIS – Social Housing) offered by the Programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida (PMCMV) have been even more severely affected. Within the context of typological standardization associated with the low architectural and urban quality of the housing units typical of this program, residents have resorted to precarious means such as improvisations and other adaptations that, in most cases, worsen their living conditions. This vulnerability occurs mainly due to the lack of access to high-quality technical information (Assistência Técnica) to support interventions and improvements in housing. From the perspective of adaptation demands, resilience has proven to be a fundamental attribute when understood as the capacity of the built environment to adapt and transform itself in response to various impacts over time. In this sense, building resilience in HIS finds strong support through the use of Tecnologia Social (Social Technology), here defined as a set of methodological procedures and products developed in interaction with the population, promoting social inclusion and improved living conditions. Thus, the proposed research aims to investigate how Tecnologia Social (TS) can serve as an ally in making digital WEB-based instruments of Avaliação Pós-Ocupação (APO) and Assistência Técnica em Habitação de Interesse Social (ATHIS) available, promoting resilience in HIS. This project continues the research “[CASA RESILIENTE] Projective strategies for promoting resilience in social housing through post-occupancy evaluation methods” and aims to improve two digital artifacts:
(i) IMPACT QUESTIONNAIRE – an APO artifact for identifying the main impacts affecting HIS; and
(ii) REFORMA NA PALMA DA MÃO Platform – an orientation and ATHIS artifact that provides design strategies for renovations and interventions in single-story houses, aiming to promote their resilience.
The artifacts are aimed at two target audiences: HIS residents and architects/urbanists, and will be made available in a WEB environment. The enhancement process will consider: the role of female protagonism in the consolidation of HIS; the different contexts and predominant construction systems of PMCMV; and the inclusion of multifamily and vertical HIS. The research intends to carry out a detailed analysis of its target audience, based on Practice Theory and User-Centered Design. Finally, it seeks to test the efficiency of the proposed artifacts as Tecnologia Social, as well as their impacts through a Case Study in Uberlândia, grounded in the Theory of Change.
Based on Design Science Research, the artifacts will be improved through the following methodology:
(i) referential research;
(ii) bibliographic research;
(iii) comparative study of similar projects;
(iv) empirical research;
(v) action research; and
(vi) propositional research.
The expected results aim to provide design information to agents involved in the production of HIS in Brazil—particularly designers and users—encouraging effective strategies to promote more resilient and sustainable dwellings. Ultimately, this research intends to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 5, 10, and 11, and to the advancement of knowledge in the ATHIS field, guiding professional practice and its improvement, disseminating knowledge, and promoting the development, implementation, and strengthening of Federal Law No. 11.888/2008. This proposal aligns with the field of Technologies for Sustainable Development and stands out for its innovative character through the development of digital artifacts (tecnologias sociais) of APO and ATHIS, and its capacity to transfer knowledge within vulnerable communities—reinforcing its potential social, environmental, and economic impacts. 

[Keywords] social housing (Habitação de Interesse Social), resilience in the built environment, post-occupancy evaluation (Avaliação Pós-Ocupação), social technology (Tecnologia Social), user-centered design, technical assistance (Assistência Técnica).