PARTICIPATORY PROJECT PROCESSES IN TECHNICAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL TECHNOLOGIES: A study for the generation of renewable energy in a rural settlement
Social technologies; Participatory processes in architecture; Renewable energies; Caatinga
wood.
This document presents the doctoral research project that addresses community participation in the
development of Social Technologies (ST). Evidence shows that there is a mismatch between the
process of developing ST and its theoretical-conceptual framework, especially with regard to
community participation in projects certified and awarded by the Banco do Brasil Foundation. This is
associated with the lack of studies on methodologies for designing and evaluating ST. The work
assumes that there is an intersection between Architecture and ST, and is based on the following
question: to what extent can participatory design processes in Architecture help in the development
of ST? The research hypothesis is that if the process were mediated by visual and interactive
mechanisms, through which users develop the solution to the problem, there would be a reduction in
the asymmetries of the ST production processes and more effective community participation in the
projects that concern them. The aim of this research is to systematise (map) methodologicalparticipatory
processes for designing Social Technologies in the field of renewable energies, mediated
by visual and interactive resources, which use Caatinga wood in the coupling structure of the
photovoltaic system. The guiding principle of this investigation is action research, comprising three
approaches (understanding, methodological-participatory processes and validation) that include five
multi-method stages: (1) Reference study, (2) Design and evaluation scales, (3) Framework for
developing Social Technologies, (4) Testing and (5) Expert panel. At the end of this methodological
journey and the results obtained, we hope to broaden the debate and promote reflection on the
approaches and convergences between architectural design processes and Social Technologies,
especially photovoltaic energy systems that are better adapted to the rural context for family farming
communities, using local material resources.