Guesthouse for the Contestado Settlement

Abstract

Intervening in rural contexts requires attention to historical, social, and environmental dynamics. In the Contestado Settlement (Lapa, Paraná-Brazil), collective memory and the relationships between community and territory create a complex scenario that demands careful approaches. The interface between private investors and local farmers generates tensions regarding significant changes. The project focuses on the house of the former administrators of the Santa Amélia Farm. Built in the 1950s with solid ceramic bricks, the building is central to the territory –not only in geographical terms but also in historical and emotional terms. The project proposal presented in this article seeks to meet the settlement's demands for the creation of a guesthouse that balances heritage preservation with necessary adaptations. The reuse of Contestado's pre-existing architecture reduces environmental impacts and values local history, offering practical solutions for the community. The intervention respects the past, connects to the present, and generates opportunities for the future. Designing in this scenario requires understanding its layers of meaning, conflicts, and transformations – strengthening the bonds between community and territory and ensuring that the intervention responds to the contemporary dynamics of the countryside.