Traffic of ideas and forming practices: architecture and urbanism in housing action of IAPI

Abstract

In Brazil, since the 1980s, in a context of growing interest in the history of housing, the city and urbanism, the investigation about the intercontinental traffic of ideas was intensified, which was evident in the publications and events of this field. In the same perspective, this paper proposes to observe the debate on housing and urbanism in Brazil, identifying points of intersection with Europe, USA and other countries in South America. In some situations, this movement was featured by influences and knowledge transfers. However, the Brazilian scenario assumed an active role in the processing and construction of its own reflections, what can be concluded by the transit of professionals and ideas linked to public housing production in the country in the 1940s and 1950s. The “Instituto de Aposentadoria e Pensão dos Industriários” (IAPI) (the retirement and pensions institute for industrial workers) excelled in the process because of the proposed technological innovations and urban projects which purpose was quality housing in series. Analyzing the action of the architects and engineers, aligned with administrative guidelines, it is expected to demonstrate how IAPI was transformed in a preferential place for the mass production of popular housing in Brazil communicating directly with the international debate.