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BIO:

Livia Loureiro is a Brazilian architect, urban planner, and researcher. She holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Texas A&M University and a Professional Degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Federal University of Paraiba (UFPB). As a founding partner of DLMA, her office focuses on architecture, housing, and urban planning. Her award-winning work explores housing, flexibility, user autonomy, density, and spatial justice. Through her COLAB Manifesto Lab, she engages in participatory design to serve underserved communities and promote equity in architecture and urban environments.
 

TEACHING
Livia approaches architectural projects as analytical pursuits rooted in research. She considers effective design solutions to come from a thorough examination of a project’s variables, a study of historical examples, and engagement with relevant architectural theories. This combination creates a logical framework connecting history, theory, and practice. Since 2015, Loureiro has taught a broad range of undergraduate and graduate architectural design studios, as well as history and theory seminars.

Loureiro’s core teaching principle is to mentor students in understanding context broadly, encompassing historical, theoretical, and environmental perspectives. She encourages students to design modern architecture that reflects the local character of its setting by using local materials and building methods. This approach not only makes designs more meaningful but also contributes to the economic and social growth of the community, building social capital before a project is initiated. She believes architecture has a fundamentally social role, with teamwork at its core.

In her teaching, Loureiro emphasizes that architecture should never be conceived in isolation. She guides students to connect architectural thinking to spatial context, whether urban or rural, to create buildings that facilitate the transition between public and private spaces while promoting healthy social interaction.
 

RESEARCH
Livia Loureiro is a researcher and practitioner in architectural design whose work bridges theory, practice, and pedagogy. Her current research explores social housing through the lenses of flexibility, user autonomy, and participatory design at the architectural scale. This work aims to redefine the role of architects as enablers, creating conditions that enable prospective residents to actively contribute to the design of their housing, thereby fostering more equitable outcomes.

Her methodology engages with diverse societal contexts to investigate the cultural specificities of domesticity and user participation. At the urban scale, Loureiro integrates this housing approach with strategies for dense infill development, promoting spatial justice and sustainability by locating housing in established areas, thereby bringing residents closer to opportunities and reinforcing their right to the city.

Loureiro envisions her research at the forefront of contemporary discourse on the social role of architects and architecture in the 21st century. She positions her work at the intersection of spatial justice, sustainability, and emerging technologies—such as AI simulation and geospatial data analysis—to identify areas of opportunity and match them with vulnerable populations in need of social housing.

PRACTICE
Founded in 2013, Loureiro’s practice, DLMA, is dedicated to developing and refining a design philosophy that engages architecture closely with its surroundings, creating urban, economic, and social benefits for the site where it is situated. Specializing in residential design, public spaces, and community projects, the firm’s work has received multiple awards, including honors from the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB/PB), an organization like the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in the United States.

DLMA’s architectural work is rooted in an ongoing critical discussion of concepts and paradigms, viewing them as dynamic and evolving elements. This approach reflects the studio’s Brazilian heritage while incorporating insights from North American practice and academic engagement. By blending professional projects, teaching, and research, DLMA explores the multifaceted role of the architect in the 21st century. The firm’s mission is to promote critical thinking in architecture and foster dialogue on the discipline’s most pressing and enduring themes.

SELECTED PUBLICATION

1. Loureiro, L.C.C. (2024). The Enabler Architect: Social Housing Through a Spectrum of Participation. Proceedings of the 2023 ACSA/EAAE Teachers Conference: Educating the Cosmopolitan Architect. pp.114-123.

2. Loureiro, L.C.C., Xavier, D. L.V. (2023). Density as Opportunity: Rethinking Housing Equality. UIA World Congress 2023. Design For Resilient Communities, Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer: Switzerland, pp 567-581.

3. Loureiro, L.C.C. Borges, A.B., Xavier, D. L. V. (2023). Mnemosyne and the Hybrid Experiments on Tradition. Proceedings of the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student: Known and Unknown Territories. pp. 321-330

4. Loureiro, L.C.C. Borges, A.B., Xavier, D. L.V. Batarse, A. (2022). The New Tent: Architecture as Social Infrastructure. Proceedings of the 110th ACSA Annual Meeting. pp. 156-160