Autoconstruction stands for a form of production where the user aka homeowner participates and develops their own project from design to final construction. In a generic affirmation, this form of production is mostly produced in low-income communities and underdeveloped countries, considering that the community doesn’t have enough monetary power to contract professionals to assist with the construction.
The self-construction process can exist in different topics within the architectural field, including houses, commercial, and public places; additionally, all of the topics can coexist and complement each other inside a community, where autonomously the residents encounter the need to complement the external and internal of their house, furthermore, users find their house as a place to generate personal income, working to transform their house in minimarkets, barber shop, saloon, and many other possible situations.
The residence inside an auto-constructed house and community gain a metamorphose “personality”, where it expands, either vertically and/or horizontally, changing its form considering the owner’s needs. The classic view of the construction as immutable and unchangeable, for its construction or value of concept, loses its meanings, and gains what we can call plastic malleability within the hands and work of those house owners. The importance of the house to reflect the internal personality for self-connection takes out the strings and fear of changing the structure and the possibility of changing the internal design.
Every topic is a huge topic when you get into it, and that is not different within the autoconstruction topic. Many can be discussed, considering the force of power, sharing knowledge processes, the value of use, economic factors, and all the contradictions that come with it. Although being a topic that deserves extensive discussion considering different points of view, this article will discuss how it is expressed, and archived and the workforce value it generates, considering the authors Sergio Ferro, Rodrigo Lefevre, and Flávio Imperio, architects that founded the group Arquitetura Nova in 1988 in Brazil and discussed about the autoconstruction topic among many others.
The Contemporary State of Autoconstruction
Inside the construction field, the form of production in which the professional architect or engineer doesn’t participate loses its value and automatically devalues its product for not possessing a solid concept following well-known design aesthetics. According to the Italian architect and activist Carlo Ratti, out of 50 buildings built in the world, only 1 is designed and managed by professionals with a professional certificate. Additionally, following the research by the João Pinheiro Foundation (FJP) in Brazil, women are the most affected by housing problems, including abusive situations and domestic violence. According to research conducted by the institution, 60% of inadequate housing is occupied by women in Brazil, a total of 15 million.
In general, it can be said that self-construction is motivated by several factors, from the lack of access to housing, the failure of the government to assist this part of the population, the high cost of hiring professionals, and the bureaucratic procedures of project approval by legal agencies.
Considering an empirical view and experience within the topic, the population who adopt this kind of production call themselves “weekend architects”, spending much time describing how proud they are of being able to construct and renovate their housing with their own hands. Not getting further about the structural inconsistencies due to the lack of technical information, their internal culture and personality are fully expressed within the layers of concrete, blocks, and paint; Nevertheless, it still possesses an internal value even if emotional or monetary.
The Construction Site as a Learning Environment
The sense of community becomes strong inside this practice, the knowledge inside the neighbourhood is highly shared and becomes a collective knowledge, paraphrasing Paulo Freire, every man is an unfinished being and, therefore, there cannot be learning without teaching and teaching without learning, and that becomes a representation of the internal network of this autonomous system.
The construction site, many times breaks the hierarchical system and adopts an experimental and schooling pattern, the learning process is constant and consistently shared, and as mentioned by Sergio Ferro (1969), the apparently marginal production reveals the totally inclusive system. It will be self-construction, self-management, not self-sufficiency, permeated by a process of training and learning of some professional activities, those linked to construction, with a view to the return of its participants to the general mode of production adopted by society as a whole. (Lefèvre, 1982).
It can be said that this practice becomes a symbol of solidarity, the knowledge of one neighbourhood that once tried a certain technique and succeeded is passed through another, and that continues. The self-called weekend architects through the autoconstruction system acquire the power within their land and the right to have a place to live.
Empowering Communities: The Legacy of Sergio Ferro and Arquitetura Nova
Sergio Ferro and the group Arquitetura Nova were pivotal figures in the topic, advocating for a more inclusive and socially responsible approach to the architectural practice. Ferro’s concept of “Autoconstruction” proposed that residents should actively participate in the building process, not just as labourers but mostly as co-creators. This approach aimed to empower communities, allowing them to take ownership of their living spaces and fostering a sense of agency and pride in their living space. As he mentioned during an interview in 2006 “As long as architecture rejects the expression of work, of authentic work, of joyful work, of autonomous work, it will always be this somewhat artificial, cold, staged, decorated thing – decoration in the bad sense – icy, inhuman. Not considering the construction site but as a result.”
The practice by the group shows an important example of how architects can participate in the process, not as designers or managers, but mostly as guides to help the workers explore the possibilities inside the construction site. By providing training and resources to the community, enabling them to build and maintain their own homes, additionally, the process can include only technical skills, but also lead to self-management and community organisation, reinforcing the idea that housing is fundamental and should be accessible to all.
The autoconstruction process, altogether within its contradictions, represents a powerful form of community-driven architecture, by challenging traditional notions of construction and professional practice. It demonstrates the power of resilience and solidarity inside low-income communities, offering valuable lessons for broader architectural practices.
Incorporating the philosophies and contributions of Sergio Ferro and Arquitetura Nova, along with many others, enriches our understanding and importance of autoconstruction, emphasising the urgency of responsible practice within this field, including community involvement and social participation of the architects. This practice serves as a reminder that the construction knowledge should be accessible and needs to be shared for a more egalitarian society.
References:
Holston, James. “Autoconstruction in Working-Class Brazil.” Cultural Anthropology 6, no. 4 (1991): 447–65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/656164.
Pedro Fiori Arantes, Arquitetura Nova: Sérgio Ferro, Flávio Império e Rodrigo Lefèvre, de Artigas aos mutirões (São Paulo: Editora 34, 2002).
de Almeida Alves, A.A. (2003) APONTAMENTOS SOBRE O DEBATE ACERCA DA AUTOCONSTRUÇÃO DE HABITAÇÕES E A EXPLORAÇÃO DA FORÇA DE TRABALHO EM SÃO PAULO NA DÉCADA DE 70 E A CONTRIBUIÇÃO DE RODRIGO LEFÈVRE, ENTECA 2003. Available at: http://www.dec.uem.br/eventos/enteca_2003/Temas/tema1/070.PDF (Accessed: 13 August 2024).
Ferro, S. (1977) Concrete as Weapon. Available at: http://www.mom.arq.ufmg.br/mom/01_biblioteca/arquivos/kapp_18_how_look.pdf
Matoso, Marília (2021) Autoconstrução Assistida: Um caminho inexplorado no Brasil, ArchDaily Brasil. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com.br/br/958648/autoconstrucao-assistida-um-caminho-inexplorado-no-brasil (Accessed: 12 August 2024).
