Environmental analysis as part of the architectural design process: low environmental impact lodging proposal.
Architectural Project; Low Environmental Impact; Multidisciplinary Collaborative Processes; Guesthousing; Environmental Fragility Area
This master’s thesis is an architectural project proposal for a lodging enterprise focusing on low environmental impact. Its main objective is to design a building in an environmentally fragile area in the municipality of Pureza/RN, integrating the area’s environmental analysis with the architectural design process. The work is justified by the recurring absence of professional practices within architectural projects that take into consideration the area’s environmental characteristics related to the physical, biotic, and socioeconomical aspects. Such conduct may result in a series of negative impacts, both on the environment, as well as people’s quality of life. For the development of the architectural proposal, a theoretical-conceptual investigation was performed through bibliographical research and project reference studies (prior or related) on themes related to lodging businesses, environmental impact, low environmental impact, multidisciplinary collaborative projects, environmental conditioning, and mapping of the design process. Prior to designing, we developed architectural programming considering the area’s environmental analysis performed by a multidisciplinary team, the legal and normative conditions, and the concept to define the project’s goals and challenges. From that, and with the aid of the course’s subjects, the design process was gradually developed and mapped, through various forms of analogue and digital media recording, from the initial stages to the conditioning studies, conceptualization, and development of the parti. As result from the studies performed, we developed the proposal for a business with low environmental impact project solutions that are compatible with the environmental conditions of the plot and land and its surroundings. We conclude that the integration of the environmental analysis in the architectural programming stage enabled that the perspective of different professionals was considered in the development of the project’s outlook, allowing the low environmental impact goal to be achieved.