Livia Loureiro

 Livia Loureiro is a Brazilian architect, urban planner, and researcher based in Texas. She graduated in 2010 with a Professional Degree in architecture and urban planning from the Federal University of Paraiba. Livia is one of the founding partners of DLMA (2012), an architecture office specializing in architectural design, agency, housing and urban planning. Her practice has received several awards and honorable mentions granted by the Brazilian Institute of Architects (IAB/PB). In 2020, Livia earned her Ph.D. in Architecture from Texas A&M University, where she works as a Lecturer since 2015, teaching architecture studio, history and theory, and design seminar classes. She has published and presented her work in several academic institutions, journals, and conferences, such as the ACSP, UAA, ACSA, NCBDS, and LASA. 

At the building scale, her research intersects the topic of social housing with flexibility, user autonomy and domesticity, and participatory design,  seeking to redefine the role of architects in housing by introducing them as enablers. At the urban scale, her work investigates housing design allied with density, focusing on infill occupation to promote spatial justice and sustainability. In her research lab, COLAB Manifesto, Livia expands the spectrum of her research through architectural projects focusing on underserved communities, minorities, and vulnerable populations.

Architectural design, Latin America, social housing, enablement, open building, self-help, participatory design, informality, density, spatial justice, social justice, underserved communities