PROSA: School of Autoproducer Formation in Socio-environmental Processes

Abstract

This document presents the experiences of the "Prosa" project, and reports the actions and methodologies adopted. Considering actions within and outside the University, “Prosa” is an extension project of the course of Architecture and Urbanism of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais (Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, PUC Minas), and aims to work with the autoproducers of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. Traditionally, the job of the Escritório de Integração (Integration Office, E.I.) is to provide direct technical assistance to autoproducers of the local. From the experience of the former School of Formation of Labor-EFMO, came the proposal of the Prosa school, that is an Escola de Formação de Autoprodutores em Processos Sócio-Ambientais (School of Autoproducer Formation in Socio-Environmental Processes). Direct action planning was collaborative, so that the autoproducers could act  in  the territory  decision processes, based  on their  knowledge, experiences  and  practices. The  expectation  is that other technologies of construction and urbanization, said as alternatives or marginal, may become promising both for autoproducers and for students, teachers, technicians, laborers and other practitioners of architecture and urbanism in order to revert extensive and predatory urbanization processes.