Architect awarded for research on urban sustainability
To complete her architecture degree, 26-year-old Angélica Azevedo e Silva endured a daily 1-hour-and-30-minute commute, taking three buses between Gama, in the Federal District, and the University of Brasília (UnB), where she studied from 2018 to 2023. During the long and exhausting journey, she became acutely aware of the stark contrast between life in the heart of the federal capital and the outskirts of the Federal District.
"I noticed the disparity in how Brasília and Gama are treated. But we know that everyone deserves to live well, with a good quality of life. The people who came to build the federal capital were pushed to the outskirts," she points out.
The differences in daily life prompted the university student to reflect on the significance of her future profession and explore ways to improve access to sustainable architecture for all.
Silva is one of the young women awarded the Carolina Bori Science & Women—Girls in Science Prize by the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC). She will receive BRL 10,000 in the Humanities category, in recognition of her scientific initiation project Diagnosis of the Dimensions of Urban Sustainability in Cavalcante-GO and Kalunga Urbanism: Sustainability, Ancestry, and Identity, developed at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at UnB.
While the exhausting journeys inspired Silva to think about urban planning as a university student, it was the hope of her family receiving their own home that motivated the future architect, at just four years old, to draw her first pictures of a house. "I kept drawing, imagining what our house would look like, and how I would decorate my room," she said.
Although Angélica Silva's mother has been enrolled in housing programs for low-income families for 20 years, she has never received a home. The house and bedroom remained a dream, but the girl's first sketches were not in vain.
"I've always loved architecture and viewed it as a way to help people. I think it's because we don't have our own home," she added.
Research
Silva’s research during her scientific initiation continued into her graduation project, where she presented proposals for the development of Cavalcante, Goiás state. She also designed an urban planning project aimed at revitalizing Vila Morro Encantado Avenue, a predominantly quilombola neighborhood in the town.
Cavalcante is located within the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. Known for its stunning natural landscape of Cerrado and numerous waterfalls, the region is also home to the Kalunga Historical and Cultural Heritage Site, which encompasses the largest remaining quilombola community territory in Brazil.
The award ceremony for the 6th edition of the prize will take place next Tuesday (Feb. 11), coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The award was established to recognize research with social impact, developed by young female talents.
New projects
Silva, who graduated just over a year ago, is now part of the Ministry of Cities' Periferia Viva Program, where she is developing a sustainable urbanism project for the Dorothy Stang settlement in Sobradinho, Federal District. She also continues as a junior researcher at the FAU/UnB Peripheral Laboratory. In addition to her work, Silva is pursuing a postgraduate course in Science, Technology, and Society at the university while awaiting selection for a master’s program.
In all three of her activities, Silva addresses housing issues common to the most vulnerable segments of the population. She believes that solutions can be found when architects and urban planners are responsive to social needs. "I want participatory urbanism. I want communities to have the right to housing and to live with dignity. I envision a city with well-established basic infrastructure, including everything a city should have: green spaces, proper drainage, recreational areas, parks, institutional spaces—everything they need," she said.
The architect's views are supported by her advisor, Professor Liza Maria Souza de Andrade, who encourages students to engage with communities in areas such as peripheral neighborhoods, settlements, and quilombos. She sees these interactions as valuable opportunities for knowledge and learning.
"She comes from the periphery and worked hard to pass the entrance exam and get into university. She has strong skills as both a researcher and a designer. I believe she discovered much of her potential in this environment," added Professor Andrade.
