Environmental sustainability and urban permanence of vernacular wooden architecture in the context of climate change

Abstract

In the 1950s, the abundance of noble timber and local knowledge solidified vernacular wood architecture as a constructive solution for the climatic context of Naviraí, located in the transitional climate region of the Southern Cone. However, predatory exploitation and the expansion of agribusiness led to a significant decline in wood as a building material. Today, a representative number of wooden houses remain in the municipality. Despite this, there is a lack of research correlating their urban persistence, environmental qualities, and recognition as an integral part of the city's history and memory. Thus, this study aims to investigate the historical process of the timber cycle in the consolidation of Naviraí's urban space, understanding the relationship between this process and the perceived value of vernacular wood architecture and its environmental characteristics. To achieve this, a dual methodological approach was adopted, considering both qualitative and quantitative procedures. This research conducted a historical investigation in literature and primary documentation; the researcher's team conducted a structured interview with a historical figure in the city's formation, and the Naviraí population responded to a questionnaire. Based on data systematization, the research concluded that vernacular wooden houses remain an appropriate, environmentally sustainable response to the region's current climate change context. The study also found that wooden houses represent a sense of identity and belonging, in addition to being understood as an integral part of the architectural and urban memory of Naviraí.