This paper seeks to reflect on the relationship between preventive measures for the protection of built heritage and the implementation of sustainability strategies. The research aims to contribute to the safeguarding of the built heritage and the improvement of construction conditions, promoting the greater thermal comfort and energy efficiency of buildings. Through both the analysis of a specific programme, the 'Improvement Plan' for the city of Porto (1956)(1957)(1958)(1959)(1960)(1961)(1962)(1963)(1964)(1965)(1966), including its subsequent extension (1966)(1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972), and the in-depth study of specific cases that were the subject of recent interventions, the aim is to identify and characterise the actions undertaken and their impacts in terms of preserving the cultural value of the buildings, as well as on the respective improvements at the level of sustainability. This research also seeks to demonstrate the importance of the user's experience in developing intervention strategies to improve living conditions and, in this way, to promote the effective involvement of the population in the maintenance of housing.

This article focuses on a specific term associated with the scientific, theoretical, and academic discourse on housing architecture in Portugal. Over the last 100 years, the term “affordable” has frequently been used in the vocabulary of urban housing in Portugal, being linked to other words commonly used in housing construction, such as <em>económica</em> (economical), <em>barata</em> (cheap/inexpensive/low-cost), <em>pobre</em> (poor), <em>cooperativa</em> (cooperative), or even <em>custos controlados</em> (controlled costs). Therefore, we propose to explore the multiple appropriations and contemporary shifts in its original meaning, seeking in this way to: (a) further stimulate the contemporary discussion on types of buildings, public housing programmes (i.e., following a historical perspective), contemporary housing policies (e.g. Basic Housing Law and New Generation of Housing Policies), refurbishment policies, new regulations, and new models for the middle classes (in Portugal); (b) share perspectives about the updating of this concept and the materialisation of its respective types and models in contemporary architectural practice; and (c) build bridges between the past and the present (public and private models and solutions, and shifts in the target audience). Although a wide range of different words was used to describe “affordable housing” in Portugal from the early 20th century to the first decade of the 21st century, it is essential to stress the importance of several newly emerging concepts. In recently implemented laws, concepts such as <em>economicamente acessível</em> (economically accessible) and <em>custos controlados</em> (controlled costs/low-cost) encompass the shifts in the meaning of the term “affordable” and broaden the contemporary discussion of the housing problem in relation to the type of property and target audience.

Stable access to affordable quality housing is a core feature of public health principles and practices. In this report, we provide an update on the research project “Mapping Public Housing: A Critical Review of the State-subsidised Residential Architecture in Portugal (1910–1974)” (MdH), developed between 2016 and 2019 at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) in Portugal. This funded research project (PTDC/CPC-HAT/1688/2014) brought together an international and multidisciplinary team composed of architects, sociologists, historians, an economist, an anthropologist, information scientists and archivists, from different academic levels (senior researchers, postdoctoral, PhD and Master’s degree students), adopting a variety of approaches and operating in a range of different contexts. The aim of the research undertaken was to investigate the reality of social and state-subsidised housing in terms of its architecture, while, at the same time, seeking to broaden our understanding of this phenomenon and of the transition to a democratic regime. Furthermore, this research project was designed to contribute towards the development of common ground for supporting decisions in the environmental, social and economic fields relating to housing management, as well as architectural heritage management and protection. This review is based on the submitted application (2015) and final report (2020).

The architecture of the Modern Movement in Oporto, Portugal, built between 1940 and 1960, is a recent heritage, whose scant recognition has been accelerating its natural degradation and increasing interventions of questionable quality. On one hand, the technical and structural weaknesses of the architecture of this period can be the cause of accelerated degradation, which are, in part, a consequence of successive experiments of new materials like concrete. On the other hand, we note the absence of disciplinary criteria in contemporary interventions, which suggests the fragility of the legal and logical framework for the material protection of this architectural legacy. This study analyses multi-family housing buildings built in Oporto with undeniable architectural quality and characteristics of the Modern Movement — the Parnaso, Ouro and D. Afonso V buildings. Apart from a reflection on the strategies for renovation, reuse and effective adaptation of these buildings to contemporary living requirements, this study aims to establish a relation between the spatial, technical and social transformations and the preservation of the originality/authenticity of these buildings.

ResumoO presente artigo trata de um experimento no qual as pesquisadoras, e também participantes, buscaram compreender o papel da cooperação na resolução de um problema, por meio do trabalho em grupo. Para tal, foram investigados os mecanismos através dos quais a cooperação auxilia na resolução de problemas, bem como o modo pelo qual ela se efetiva. A análise dos processos de colaboração e cooperação é realizada durante a resolução pelo grupo de um problema aberto, cujas reflexões dão origem a uma nova proposta que também conduz à necessidade de trabalho cooperativo. Essa análise foi realizada a partir das ações e diálogos do grupo e com base nos conceitos de colaboração e cooperação advindos da teoria da epistemologia genética de Jean Piaget. Os resultados deste estudo apontaram que o trabalho cooperativo tem importantes contribuições na resolução de problemas, em especial os abertos, não só como produto do processo, mas também no desenvolvimento cognitivo e afetivo dos envolvidos. Além disso, aponta características relacionadas ao problema proposto e outras à maturidade cognitiva e afetiva dos envolvidos como algumas das condições necessárias para que a cooperação ocorra de fato.Palavras-chave: Resolução de problemas, Colaboração, Cooperação, Processos coletivos.AbstractThis article deals with an experiment in which the researchers and participants sought to understand the role of cooperation in solving a problem, through group work. To this end, the mechanisms through which cooperation helps in solving problems, as well as its effectiveness, were investigated. The analysis of the collaboration and cooperation processes is carried out during the group’s resolution of an open-ended problem, whose reflections give rise to a new proposal that also leads to the need for cooperative work. This analysis was carried out based on the group’s actions and dialogues and based on the concepts of collaboration and cooperation arising from Jean Piaget’s theory of genetic epistemology. The results of this study pointed out that cooperative work gives important contributions to solving problems, especially open-ended ones, not only as a product of the process, but also in the cognitive and affective development of those involved. Besides, it points out characteristics related to the problem posed and others to the cognitive and affective maturity of those involved as the necessary conditions for cooperation to take place.Keywords: Problem solving, Collaboration, Cooperation, Collective processes.ResumenEste artículo plantea un experimento en el que los investigadores y también los participantes trataron de comprender el papel de la cooperación para resolver un problema, a través del trabajo en grupo. Para ello, se investigaron los mecanismos a través de los cuales la cooperación ayuda a resolver problemas, así como la forma en que es efectiva. El análisis de los procesos de colaboración y cooperación se lleva a cabo durante la resolución del grupo de un problema abierto, cuyas reflexiones dan lugar a una nueva propuesta que también lleva a la necesidad de un trabajo cooperativo. Este análisis se realizó con base en las acciones y diálogos del grupo y en los conceptos de colaboración y cooperación que surgen de la teoría de la epistemología genética de Jean Piaget. Los resultados de este estudio mostraron que el trabajo cooperativo contribuye para resolver problemas, especialmente los abiertos, no solo como producto del proceso, sino también en el desarrollo cognitivo y afectivo de los involucrados. Además, señala características relacionadas con el problema propuesto y otras con la madurez cognitiva y afectiva de los involucrados como algunas de las condiciones necesarias para que ocurra la cooperación.Palabras clave:Solución de problemas, Colaboración, Cooperación, Procesos colectivos.