Title

Author(s)

José Evandro Henriques, Fernando Moreira, Robert Schmidt IIIc, Mila Santos

Affiliation

Federal University of Pernambuco

Federal University of Pernambuco

Loughborough University

Politecnico di Milano

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/CORX2601

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Shearing Layers of Change, Spirit of Architecture

PP

457-463

How to Cite

Henriques, José Evandro, Fernando Moreira, Robert Schmidt III, Mila Santos. “Spirit of Architecture The Adaptive Reuse of Queira-Deus House in Brazil.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 457–463. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

Adaptability, the capacity of a building to accommodate changes in time, has emerged as a significant theme in contemporary architectural discourse, encompassing both theoretical and practical facets (Schmidt III, Austin 2016). Literature indicates its social, economic, and environmental benefits by advancing sustainability and addressing climate challenges such as carbon reduction (Mlote et al. 2024). As a growing practice within adaptability, adaptive reuse offers an approach that honors embodied memories and amplifies latent potential, particularly dealing with pre-existing and heritage buildings (Berke, De Monchaux 2023). Framed within the concept of the shearing layers of change or SLC (Duffy 1990; Brand 1994), this study examines the adaptive reuse of the Queira-Deus House, completed in 2007, in Northeast Brazil – part of a 17th-century sugar mill complex – according to two lenses: (1) shearing layers, or the building’s physical and spatial presence; and (2) and spirit of architecture, its essence (Kahn 1960). Using a comparative method (before-after transformation), data were collected by site visits, an architect’s semi-structured interview and access to architectural documentation. Results highlight spirit resonance with time (Leatherbarrow 2021), place (Norberg-Schulz 1976; Pérez-Gómez 2019) and human subjectivities (Hegel 2008; Leitão 2021). The paper concludes by underscoring the importance of including the spirit of architecture in the theme of adaptability for both design and conservational purposes. Ultimately, the originality of this proposition aims to influence practice through a more inclusive theoretical framework grounded in the unmeasurable dimension of architecture for extending the built environment’s lifecycle.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.