Independent Living Design is a research work developed at CEAU-FAUP within ICAVI. ICAVI stands for "Research for Center of Support for Independent Living," a research project fostered by Santa Maria Health School (ESSSM) and the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association (APN).

Its purpose is to evaluate the development of the Independent Life Support Center (CAVI) established by the Portuguese Neuromuscular Association (APN). This institutional structure follows specific legislation that has been in force in Portugal since 2017, namely the Model of Support for Independent Living (MAVI), which targets implementing a personal assistance program.

Through the service provided by personal assistants, the aim is to create autonomy conditions for people confined to their homes or institutionalized, reducing the physical and emotional burden of informal caregivers.

To people with disabilities, accessibility in the built environment, including public spaces and adapted housing, is vital to manage their lives more independently and achieve personal and professional goals.

Independent Living Design, among other outputs, foresees the elaboration of a House Adaptation Guide, a simplified checklist to be distributed at Care Centres and Associations to help inhabitants with specific needs adapt their homes, especially when a technical advisory is unavailable.

Protocols:
Escola Superior de Saúde Santa Maria
Porto4Ageing

Work in progress:
Housing adaptation checklists within the scope of the protocol established with the Escola Superior de Saúde de Santa Maria / Portuguese Neuromuscular Association / Projecto de investigação-acção ICAVI (Investigação Centro de Apoio Vida Independente)

Recent publication:
Journal article:
Lameira, Gisela, Rui Jorge Garcia Ramos, Nuno Valentim, and Azar Mohammadpanah. 2023. "Good Architecture Matters: The Architect’s Perspective on Design for Ageing and Energy Efficiency." Buildings 13 (4). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13041067

Lameira, Gisela, Luciana Rocha, and Rui Jorge Garcia Ramos. 2022. "Affordable Futures Past: Rethinking Contemporary Housing Production in Portugal While Revisiting Former Logics." Urban Planning 7 (1): 223-240. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.v7i1.4770

Book chapter:
Ramos, Rui J. G., and Gisela Lameira. 2021. "Modelo de Vida Independente: abordagem a partir de modos alternativos de pensar a habitação e a vida doméstica." In in Modelo de Vida Independente. Porto (in revision). https://hdl.handle.net/10216/129319

Abstract in international seminar:
Ramos, Rui J. G., Gisela Lameira and Tiago Lopes Dias. 2023. “Respigar a Habitação do Passado como Ato de Resistência”, Mais do que Casas programme, Abril 2074 | 7 visions

Keynotes:
Lameira, Gisela and Rui J. G. Ramos. “LIVING IN PLACE: challenges to the possibility of living at our homes independently” Conferêence “ICAVI 2023 – Independent Living Models: Results and Reflections”, Pinel 2 – ICAVI: research results, (2023/06/15)

Lameira, Gisela. “HOMES FOR ALL, NOT JUST ADAPTED”: Ageing and Living in place: Contemporary issues in housing design”. in Workshop The Question of Housing in the NEBgS. International Laboratory @FAUP, Blended Intensive Program (BIP, NEB goes South), (2023/07/18)