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Architecture Schools and Programs in Brazil

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Architecture Studies in Brazil

Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrasiThe opportunity to study architecture in the beautiful country of Brazil is one that every student should take advantage of if given the chance, an experience that combines a top-notch education with a one-of-a-kind South American cultural and sightseeing expedition. Officially known as the Federative Republic of Brazil, it is the largest country in South America and in the Latin American region.  It is the world’s fifth-largest country by both geographic area and by population—a population that has now swelled to nearly 194 million inhabitants.
 
A coastal country with a coastline of over 4,600 miles, Brazil is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east.  Its neighboring countries include Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana to the north, Colombia to the northwest, Bolivia and Peru to the west, Argentina and Paraguay to the southwest and Uruguay to the south.  Its territory also consists of a number of archipelagos, such as Fernando de Noronha, Rocas Atoll, Saint Peter and Paul Rocks and Trindade and Martim Vaz.  Brazil is so large, it borders every other South American country, save for Ecuador and Chile.  The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, while Sao Paulo is the largest city in the country by population.

Architecture Education in Brazil

Brazil has one of the finest systems of higher education in South America and most of its major universities, including the University of Sao Paulo, offer Architecture as a degree program at the undergraduate, graduate and professional level.
At the University of Sao Paulo, the study of architecture is the responsibility of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, which is carefully integrated into the surrounding greenery of this very picturesque campus.  An architectural wonder in itself, the faculty consists of a concrete building with an enormous public atrium, a magnificent ramp, majestic columns and an incredible roof construction, providing more than a sixty meter-long span.

Architecture education has been offered at the university since the faculty was founded in 1948.  It originated from the old course of an architect engineer from the Polytechnic School at the same university.  Its founder and first director was Professor Luiz Ignacio de Mello Anhaia, a man responsible for the Urbanism training in the old course and the main organizer of the new content for the updated course that was in formation.

The update to the architecture program at the University of Sao Paulo came first in 1962 and then again in 1968—reforms that defined the new curricular structure.  This structure was then and is now based on a multi-disciplinary vision of architecture and urbanism, including the science and art of architectural design and management techniques.  The course of today combines studies in the humanities, the arts and in techniques that lead to the formation of a professional who is not only a humanist, an artist or a technologist, but a little of all three simultaneously.  It incorporates content related to architecture and urbanism, specifically industrial design, visual communication and landscaping, and widening the spectrum of scale and design practices from a regional / environmental system to the isolated object and its components. Graduates of the program are armed with skills that enable them to reply to the needs of the development process from the direct satisfaction of needs of social reproduction - in housing projects, urban systems and others, such as the economic production of property and services for which their skills are required.

Why Study Abroad in Brazil

Students studying abroad in Brazil have the unique opportunity to gain a fresh academic insight into the study of architecture, while teaming up with knowledgeable faculty and other students from around the world.  However, their education is not merely limited to the classroom and the university.  Foreign students who pursue this opportunity are afforded the wonderful chance to learn about and gain a new appreciation for the Brazilian culture, pick up valuable language skills and visit some of the country’s most treasured sites.

The primary culture of Brazil is derived from the Portuguese, with whom the country has previous colonial ties.  Among other influences, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language, the practice of Roman Catholicism (the most popular religion in the country) and colonial architectural styles.  The culture was also strongly influenced by African, indigenous and non-Portuguese European cultures as well, making it even more interesting and fascinating to visit due to the wide variety of customs, traditions and annual celebrations.

Brazil boasts a number of unique sightseeing destinations—destinations that should especially pique the interest of the architecture student.  Some of these include the National Congress Building of Brazil, designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer; the Brazilian Museum of Sculpture, by Paulo Mendes de Rocha; the Brazil Television Tower, by Lucio Costa; Palacio da Alvorada, by Oscar Niemeyer; and Brazil’s Civic Square, by Burle Max.

The larger cities of Brazil, where most of the country’s universities are concentrated, are very student-friendly and offer a number of amenities that will make your stay enjoyable and entertaining.  Restaurants and cafes abound in these districts, serving delicious traditional Brazilian fare such as Feijoda, a tasty dish made with black beans, pork, rice, collard greens, cassava flour and orange.  Brazil is also renowned for its nightlife and party atmosphere, a country that is home to the world-famous Carnival and one with hundreds of bars and nightclubs where students can relax and blow off some steam after a long day of studying.