Uploaded on 2020-05-14 by Lucas Roberts de Melo

This is a building, the final product of the construction process. Analyzing its materials, from the extraction to manufacturing, transportation, until the application in construction, we can establish an invisible network that crosses the world. This particular building has materials from different regions of Brazil, and even from China and other countries. The steel, part of the building structure, is imported from China. Today, steel represents 1.5% of Brazilian importations from China, the number one Brazilian trade partner. But the materials produced in Brazil are not from this locality either. The only material used in this building, extracted from this locality, was sand. Cement and ceramics, for example, come from other cities around Santa Maria and other states. Opposing to ancient buildings construction, the construction process today relies on a material network that involves localities far away from the site. One effect of this globalized construction process in Brazil is the CO2 emission from transportation inside Brazilian territory, which is mainly road transportation. Moreover, the imposed and naturalized use of widespread international materials hinders the use of local vernacular materials or new materials designed specifically for the local climate or specific demand.