11 million Brazilians live in informal settlements, called Favelas. However, high population densities and a complex building morphology can create environmental and health challenges.
Two of the most basic features a home can offer: sunlight and moving air, are also among the hardest to see. In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, they are governed less by choice than by geometry, where close walls and deep alleys keep the sun from the ground and the air from moving. Brisa+ reconstructs five favelas from airborne laser scans and simulates, street by street, where and how many homes fall below the conditions the World Health Organization (WHO) considers adequate for a health and wellbeing. This open and transferable pipeline is built to guide home upgrading in place, building healthier cities.
Hermann, T., Mingze C., Mazzarello M., Duarte, F., Ratti, C. (2026). publication title . Nature Communications.
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