System for Evaluating Abandoned Buildings in the Brazilian Context: Rehabilitation for Social Housing

This project develops a multi-scalar evaluation system to assess abandoned buildings for rehabilitation into social housing within the Brazilian context. It integrates urban-scale indicators (social capital, spatial behaviour, environmental context) with building-scale assessments (design quality, habitability, durability, pathology, and cost) to support evidence-based decision-making. The research advances the operationalisation of rehabilitation strategies through digital and data-driven approaches, enabling systematic evaluation of assets across their lifecycle. By combining urban analysis, building performance, and digital system development, the project contributes to more efficient, sustainable, and socially responsive reuse of existing building stock.

This project helps identify which abandoned buildings can be turned into good-quality, affordable housing. It looks at both the condition of the building and the surrounding neighbourhood, using a structured system to decide what can be reused and how. The aim is to support better decisions so that empty buildings can be brought back into use in a safe, cost-effective, and socially beneficial way.

The project is expected to demonstrate that the rehabilitation of abandoned buildings for social housing can be significantly improved through an integrated, multi-scalar evaluation framework that combines urban context, building condition, and lifecycle performance. It anticipates establishing a structured decision-support approach capable of identifying viable assets for reuse by linking social, spatial, technical, and economic indicators in a consistent and scalable way. The research is also expected to show that digital and data-driven methods can enhance the transparency and robustness of rehabilitation decisions, moving practice beyond fragmented or purely cost-driven approaches. More broadly, it is anticipated that aligning building-level interventions with wider urban dynamics will improve social outcomes and long-term sustainability, supporting policy-relevant strategies for the circular use of the built environment.