Self-building domestic spaces:

Ways of life and ways of living

Abstract

We present the results of an investigation that analyzed how the spatial conformation of self-built housing by the low-income population reflects the ways of life and ways of living of its residents and self-builders. The investigation carried out in Viçosa – MG (Brazil), in two neighborhoods characterized by precarious conditions of infrastructure and concentration of residents with socioeconomic restrictions and in conditions of social vulnerability. The field research took the form of case studies on self-built housing, using current methodological procedures in post-occupancy evaluation (POE): semi-structured interviews, walkthroughs, affective maps, architectural surveys and photographic records. We did not identify a spatial pattern in the houses; however, there are common aspects among the cases studied. We observed references to the rural way of life, the existence of hybrid ways of life and ways of living, the realization of constant reforms and expansions, the development of productive activities and cohabitation on the land. We found that socioeconomic conditions strongly influences the values ​​expressed in housing and that there are technical difficulties in the planning and construction processes of homes. We highlight the need for operationalization of public and free technical assistance for social housing aiming at improvements in the conditions of self-built residential and urban environments.