Architectures of Relation: A Rhizomatic Pedagogy for Heartland Brazil

Abstract

This thesis is a proposition for a new turn in the architectural pedagogy of Brazil, with a focus on addressing the curricula found in schools in the country’s heartland. The prevailing educational model is the continuation of a colonial project, reflecting its xenocentric premise — the devaluation of local culture in favor of foreign values. As a result, the dominant current pedagogical frameworks are misaligned with the specific demands and disciplinary realities of Brazil, especially its mid-sized cities, its heartlands. This project introduces the concept of Architectures of Relation, developed after Édouard Glissant’s epistemology. Glissant defines Relation as a break from models of alterity, offering a way to understand cultural identity as “not made up of things that are foreign, but of shared knowledge” (Glissant, 1997). While the Western worldview tends to impose transparency, Relation embraces opacities: the untranslatable and culturally specific. This proposition is informed by a study of the professional context of architecture in Brazil’s mid-sized cities, which are currently the fastest-growing urban centers in the country. To further the studies of pedagogical realities, Escola da Cidade, an independent architecture school in São Paulo, serves as a case study for its pedagogical model tailored to the city it operates within. Building on the insights from the case study and field analysis, the thesis interprets the parameters of the UNESCO-UIA Charter for Architectural Education under the lens of Glissant’s thought, addressing core architectural realities such as labor, materials, cultural elements, spatial occupation, and climate-responsive design. The final proposed framework is based on pedagogical devices meant to be merged with the core curriculum of schools, aiming to educate architects and urbanists capable of designing cities that are culturally, socially, and ecologically sustainable.