Envolver e devolver: reflexões sobre as práticas extensionistas no ensino de arquitetura

Abstract

This work arises from questions and provocations shaped throughout my academic journey in the Architecture and Urbanism program. Moving beyond the conventional boundaries of classroom and studio-based instruction, I was able to engage with alternative practices, notably research and university extension. These experiences challenged the oft-discussed complementarity between teaching, research, and extension—principles regarded as foundational to Brazilian higher education. Central to the anticipated inseparability of these three dimensions is the engagement with communities and social groups external to the university. Such interactions serve as fertile ground for forging connections between theory and practice, broadening perspectives and deepening knowledge through the confrontation with real-world contexts. However, these domains often appear to operate in parallel, with little convergence, resulting in a discernible gap between academic environments and the diverse social, cultural, and territorial realities that surround them. In response to this disconnect, this inquiry navigates methodological and procedural pathways in search of fissures within the entrenched pedagogical structures of architectural education—spaces through which dialogue and convergence between academia and society may be cultivated. Employing cartographic methodologies, this study seeks to explore, analyze, and critically reflect upon university extension practices within Architecture and Urbanism programs at Brazilian federal universities. The investigation draws on data derived from online repositories of extension projects, aiming to uncover patterns, potentials, and limitations inherent to these practices. Along this trajectory, theoretical frameworks concerning university extension, architectural education, and participatory methodologies have been mobilized to anchor and expand the discourse. This essay thus positions itself in favor of a more expansive architectural pedagogy—one committed to the engagement with foundational sociocultural issues, responsive to the plurality of contemporary realities, and firmly rooted in practices of “involving” communities and “returning” collectively constructed technical and epistemic contributions.