![Photo of female student wearing an augmented reality headset.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/projects/_1280x720_crop_center-center_80_none/rio_studio-1039.jpg)
Using Technology to Support Social Integration
The World experiences a significant growth in population coupled with fast urbanization processes particularly in the Southern hemisphere, which puts an enormous pressure on cities, giving rise to numerous social, infrastructural, ecological, and urban problems.
In this context, the formal sector is often unable to provide sufficient adequate housing for this growing population, which then resort to self-help processes that lead to informal settlements. These settlements are not perceived as a problem but as a solution that although affordable and spatially rich presents limitations.
This project explores the use of digital technology to overcome such limitations and promote social integration. Technology is used in two ways: first, to map, analyze, and explain the genesis and morphology of informal settlements; and then to devise alternative planning and design methodologies to generate planned settlements with the qualities found in informal settlements while avoiding its shortcomings.
Gallery
![3D scanned image of the favela Santa Marta, Rio by Debora Verniz.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/project-arch-2101-dc-duarte-decoding1.jpg)
![Photo of a scale-foam model of Scale model of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/rio_studio-1044_lores.jpg)
![360 degree photo of visiting Stuckeman students in the favela.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/360_image_visiting_the_favela_with_students_r0011431_20170430131512.jpg)
![Optimization of urban layouts following a variety of generative strategies. Faculty: Fernando Lima, Nate Brown, Jose Duarte.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/project-arch-2101-dc-duarte-decoding2.jpg)
![Overhead photo of the favela](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/image_from_favela_slide8-4.jpg)
![Photo of a Stuckeman faculty member demonstrating augmented reality equipment in one of Stuckeman's workshops.](https://arts.psu.edu/assets/uploads/work/_860xAUTO_fit_center-center_80_none/immersive_vive_environment_vive6_lores.jpg)
Learn more at the World Studio website.