Cíntia Richele, who until then rented with her two children in
Jardim Colombo, a favela located in the Paraisópolis complex, frequently received visits from her nephews in her small home, which made her realize the need to move to a larger place, in addition to her long-standing desire to have her own residence. After much effort, she managed to conquer
a space to call her own, however, there was not enough space to comfortably accommodate the family. Additionally, the location was plagued by problems in the sewage system, in the plumbing system, and in the house's structure, which made immediate relocation impossible.
Cíntia's house was already part of the mapping carried out by Fazendinhando, an activist movement led by Ester Carro that carries out housing mutirões in the outskirts of São Paulo. The property remained on the waiting list to undergo the renovation process for just over a year. While waiting, Cíntia worked in community services that helped the neighborhood's population, in addition to volunteering in the renovations of other houses signed by the project that would help her in the future. In light of the problems identified in the house, it was found that a renovation would not be sufficient and that the construction would need to be restarted from scratch with the projection of two floors, transforming the existing area of approximately 20 m² into 36 m² of built area plus 4 m² of free area. The house, which has a shape similar to a funnel (the beginning has larger dimensions compared to the end of the lot), is surrounded by other residences, which made it difficult to redo the sewage, plumbing, and electrical systems, since they were connected to the neighborhood, requiring the installation of a completely independent structure. Another challenge faced in the construction process was the unprecedented use of structural block, which had never been adopted in Fazendinhando's services. The choice of material was also thought out to encourage the community to use it as an sustainable alternative, as its use decreases the amount of putty, paint, and coatings, which consequently reduces the costs involved in the repair. “We noticed that when it rained, this block did not absorb water, unlike conventional ceramic Baiano bricks, which in the long run avoids the insalubrity present in houses in the region due to mold and seepage,” says Ester Carro. “We saw the opportunity to show the community the benefits of this type of block.” Previously the house had only one floor, with a precarious structure based on some pillars that were connected to other residences. To add a second floor to the property, it was necessary to redo the foundation, waterproofing, and the structure formed by beams, slabs, and stairs. “One of the elements that took our concern in terms of calculations was the staircase, as in community residences, these structures tend to be very narrow, forcing people to climb sideways and to balance themselves, which even results in many children falling,” says the architect, satisfied with the result. 
