Visiting Scholar 2008-2009
Professor at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Area of Expertise: Architecture and Urban Design, downtown redevelopment, experiential approach in built environment research, culture, design and urban place.

Country of Expertise: Brazil

Project title: Experiential approaches to the study of downtown redevelopment: Application of the Brazil model to other cases.

Current Research Project:
The application of instruments and analysis tools to surveys in downtown Rio de Janeiro will serve as a model for research in other downtown revitalized historic areas. The goal is to understand and evaluate the outcomes of the Brazil case studies, focusing on the morphological, social, political, cultural and economic conditions that shape urban settlements. The methodology is based on a phenomenological and experiential approach that merges users' and planners' point of views in the experience of place. This project intends to review the research findings and methodology and broaden its application to other built environments, including brown-fields, old residential neighborhoods, and slums-- focusing on the potentials and possibilities of experiential research for urban redevelopment.

Academic Background:
PhD in Architecture from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Selected Publications:
Cultural Corridor Project: Revitalization, Preservation and Design Guidelines for Downtown, Rio de Janeiro . In "Contemporary Urbanism in Brazil : Beyond Brasilia " ed. By V. Del Rio and W. Siembieda, University Press of Florida, 2009

Observing the Quality of Place: Post Occupancy Evaluation procedures . Rio de Janeiro: CNPQ, 2009 ( Co-authored with Rheingantz, P; Azevedo, G.; Brasileiro, A.; and Queiroz, M. ) in edition.

Experiential Cognition: Embodied Observation and Sustainability in the Study of Urban Environments," Revista Ambiente Construído - Built Environment Magazine ( São Paulo ), v.7, p.35 - 46, 2007 (co-author with Rheingantz, P.A.)

"The Plaza and the Alley: Localized Dichotomies, Contextual Harmonies on the Praca Quinze of Rio de Janeiro, " LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE, Revista Paisagem e Ambiente, v.25, 2007(with Rheingantz, P.A.)

Embodied Observation and Quality of Place - Architecture and Phenomenology International Conference Proceedings, Haifa , Israel . 2007 (with co-author Rheingantz, P.A.)

Pires de Almeida: Redoubt of the Charming Soul of Rio de Janeiro Streets, In: Proceedings of the Third Seminario Projetar, 2007, Porto Alegre , Brazil , (with co-authors Rheingantz, P.A. E Barbosa, A.)

Pires de Almeida Street : Embodied Observations of a Singular Public Place , LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENT MAGAZINE, Revista Paisagem e Ambiente, v.23, p.30-40, 2006. (with co-authors Rheingantz, P.A., Barbosa, A., Laureano, A., Amorim, F.)

The Urban Waters - Rio de Janeiro Letter: Lessons of the First National Seminario on Environmental Regeneration of Cities - ENEPEA2006, São Paulo - 2006 (with co-authors Tangari, V., Schlee, M., Andrade, R., Dias, M. A., Bronstein, L.)