Casa na água. Água, território e habitar

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to reflect on alternative ways of living connected to water. The work aims to be a reflection on architecture, modular housing, prefabrication, and the relationship between design and water, with the intention of identifying new opportunities for enhancing urban environments. The starting point was an internship experience in Berlin, where I had the opportunity to explore drawing and 3D modeling in projects focused on small-scale, prefabricated mobile homes. These were designed for people seeking a second home, away from urban centers, and in closer harmony with nature. The relevance of this subject may lie in the intensive occupation of urban land in cities and the fact that Portugal, unlike other European countries, neither has the tradition nor the alternative practice of building floating architecture. In this sense, the research will reflect on water as one of the still-available territories for designing and constructing architecture and its potential. Water is deeply connected to cities and to life in cities. This dissertation will aim to study floating houses and their impact on the urban landscape. Several issues emerge from this theme, including technical and conceptual aspects, legislation, social dynamics, autonomy, and sustainability, among others. This is an architecture that does not rely on the land as its base, support, or foundation, but rather floats on a fluid - water - meaning the conditions and parameters for design become inherently "alternative." This will be one of the central themes of investigation and reflection. Through this work, I aim to study a type of architecture and settlement that is still unusual in Portugal. Nevertheless, the theme of water-based architecture holds significant potential in our country, whether due to its strong historical connection to water, or the characteristics of a territory rich in hybrid resources. The dissertation seeks to explore the inherent potential of this theme through an essentially architectural lens. With this dissertation, I intend to give shape to my aspiration of becoming an architect and of engaging in a true research-through-design process. I see architecture as the physical projection of imagination, experience, and knowledge.