Participar na Utopia. Notas de viagem ao interior do ser

Abstract

The opportunity to witness several moments in which architects, communities and volunteers came together to conclude an idea, from the beginning to the end, in a process in which each participant has something to say and altogether put their hands to work, was one of the stimuli to start this work. The aim of this work is to highlight some projects with this character developing in several contexts and countries. Projects with a participatory character, in which participation can be extended to more or less participants, can be a form of learning, allowing the growth of each participant while being included in a community, creating relationships with others and collaborating with them searching for answers and finding solutions. The projects presented have very different origins and intentions. They are part of a path of learning and self-knowledge and they are presented here following a chronological line. They are interleaved with notes from the geographic travels performed during that period. Following a path of learning that will conclude one of its stages with this dissertation, it is hoped that this theme allows the emergence of several other topics of discussion: a review of the architect's role today, the relevance of this kind of interventions in several contexts, the analysis of participatory projects throughout history; the use of these initiatives as a way to improve housing situations in certain places and to take advantage of them as a space for acquiring certain skills and as a complement to the learning process of the architecture student.