‘If I change the space I’m in, I also change. I also made some small changes to myself.’ (Luciana, community resident and project participant)

Architecture in the Periphery (AnP) is a nonprofit initiative that empowers women in Brazil to enhance their homes and communities, promoting independence and improving living conditions in socially vulnerable areas. The core objective is to foster women’s autonomy through spatial development, recognizing it as a pathway to emancipation. AnP’s architectural practice is guided by a self-developed method, recognized as a social technology by the Brazilian government in 2019, that emphasizes cooperation and information sharing.

The approach involves a participatory process where women learn project design practices, such as measuring spaces and sketching architectural plans. They also acquire planning skills, including financial management, material calculations and budgeting, along with hands-on building techniques through workshops. By becoming protagonists in the process, community residents can shape their environments autonomously and sustainably. AnP operates through three main axes of action: ANP AT focuses on participatory design for social housing; ANP BIO engages in community interventions using bioconstruction methods; and ANP CO facilitates improvements to low-income family houses by women trained through the project.

AnP’s innovative method has also influenced policy changes. In 2023, it partnered with the municipality of Belo Horizonte to initiate a groundbreaking technical advisory programme aimed at improving precarious housing in the city, marking the first civil society organization to support public policy design and implementation in this manner. This partnership is made possible by the method’s replicable and scalable nature.

From 2020 to 2023, AnP engaged with 520 women across 12 communities, impacting approximately 4,500 individuals. The initiative conducted field actions, resulting in 110 housing improvements and two renovated collective spaces.

One notable intervention occurred in the Paulo Freire Community on Maria Perpétua Street, where women collaborated to revitalize a nearly abandoned building. The project included a training cycle that combined theoretical classes focusing on historical, non-colonialist cultures – particularly ancient Latin American and African societies – with practical sessions involving field visits and workshops. Participants learned to work with local, sustainable materials such as earth and bamboo.

Following the design phase, the implementation included installing bamboo cladding, applying earthen plaster and paint, and building a bench from rammed earth. As a result, the space has been rejuvenated and is now embraced and actively utilized by the community.