The Open Building approach as an

Brazilian contemporary architecture (and, naturally, Brazilian schools of architecture) has not critically analyzed the mass housing production presently provided by the public power as the solution to the housing shortage in the Brazilian cities (around 7 millions of dwelling units, essentially in urban areas). The housing conditions in Brazil reflect the unequal income distribution – as excluded part of the formal market the poorest urban population is compelled to occupy residual areas of the formal city. The government approach towards favelas has slowly evolved, since the beginning of the last century, from expulsion or removal programmes to urbanization interventions, both strategies followed by mass housing production policies. Still, in contrast to such answers, the poorest urban population seems to live into the natural relationship between human beings and environment described by John Habraken. In spite of all the physical, environmental, economic and social problems, favelas are an example of coherent housing (auto) production processes where dwellers autonomously decide about the design, building and use of their dwellings. At the same time, they are usually linked to a strong sense of community no longer found elsewhere. Latest efforts to improve the favelados ’ quality of life have been taken place, all still based in the mass housing production models (whic