Cooperativa de habitação de Massarelos. Da criação coletiva ao projeto

Abstract

The Cooperativa de Habitação de Massarelos(CHM) is a singular case and expression of the social, political, and cultural transformations triggered by the Revolution of 25 April 1974, within a context in which housing emerged as a central field of collective action. Embedded in the continuity of post-revolutionary participatory experiences, the cooperative arises from the trajectory of the Associação de Moradores de Massarelos (AMM) and materialises the articulation between community organisation, technical action, and architectural design, extending over time principles associated with the Serviço de Apoio Ambulatório Local (SAAL). This dissertation analyses the CHM as the outcome of a complex collective process, articulating a historical, social, and political reading with a critical analysis of the project developed by architects Manuel Fernandes de Sá and Francisco Barata. The building is approached as an urban artefact, conceived in dialogue with the topography, the urban fabric, and the riverside landscape, and as a support for modes of inhabitation marked by spatial flexibility, adaptability, and a collective dimension. The research is based on a qualitative methodology, grounded in documentary analysis, direct observation of the building, and interviews with former members of the AMM, cooperative members, and architects involved in the process. These interviews and the commented site visits presented in the appendices constitute a fundamental tool for understanding the social dynamics, decision-making processes, and lived experiences associated with the cooperative. The annexes bring together archival documentation, including minutes, graphic records, and other materials produced throughout the process, allowing for a deeper critical reading of the building and its context of production. The analysis highlights the contrast between the permanence of architectural form and the transformation of community practices over time, offering a critical reading of the limits and potentialities of cooperative housing in the contemporary urban context. By taking the CHM as its object of study, the dissertation contributes to an understanding of the continuities of struggles for decent housing in Portugal, questioning the relationships between architecture, memory, spatial justice, and the city.