RETROFIT IN PUBLIC BUILDING WITH EMPHASIS ON SECURITY AND FUNCTIONALITY: project intervention at the administrative head office of the Technology Center (CT/UFRN)

Retrofit. Revitalization. Architectural project. Functionality. Safety.

This Course Conclusion Paper, composed of a technical-scientific report and technical project,
presents the theoretical and technical basis, as well as the guidelines and strategies adopted
in the elaboration of an architectural intervention project in a building for public use, of an
administrative nature, located at the Central Campus of UFRN. Buildings in general are
susceptible to the action of time, suffering wear (to a greater or lesser degree) in systems and
components by use, by natural agents, among others. The retrofit process consists of planning
and actions aimed at technological readjustment and, consequently, in the rescue and/or
improvement of equipment performance. Considering the problem of lag and obsolescence of
the building installations of the object of study, the general objective of the work is to design
interventions (retrofit) of functionality (for the current demands) and fire safety in the
administrative building of the UFRN Technology Center. To this end, the design constraints
(object and users) were analyzed; aspects that involve risks to the functionality/safety of
existing installations were verified, in accordance with current technical standards; and the
importance of the main benefits resulting from the design and updating of public equipment
processes was determined. In the development of the proposal, initially, a vast theoretical and
conceptual analysis and deepening of the theme presented was carried out, especially through
bibliographic review, looking for authors who studied the subject more emphatically, in addition
to analyzing related projects (design precedents) for assistance in expanding the repertoire of
technical engineering and architectural solutions. In the sequence, the characteristics of the
built set, as well as its envelope, were determined, taking into account, above all, the aspects
related to users (safety and functionality) and defining the guiding concept of the project
proposal, which, in turn, enabled the structuring of architectural programming, the basis for
characterizing the dilemmas and goals of the project. Finally, the party was defined in order to
materialize the concept (previously suggested). Important resources (physical model, APO and
specific softwares) were used to assist in obtaining of the desired understandings and results.
From the studies and developments listed above, there was a gradual advance of the design
process, with the characterization of each stage through various forms of records, in a
continuous and logical sequence. Considering the suggested objectives, the work sought,
through specific architectural strategies, to enhance the characteristics of the building in
presenting solutions to the identified problems, as well as meeting the design goals in response
to the dilemmas enumerated in the programming stage. The result is represented by the
architectural retrofit project that includes the design proposals for the administrative building
of the UFRN Technology Center, promoting revitalization and improvement of aspects of fire
safety and building functionality. The correct sequence of steps that constitute good analysis
and design practices, as well as the use of appropriate design techniques, were fundamental
to obtain a final product with quality, which seeks to meet the wishes of the users of the
equipment and provide a usual and purposeful architecture, in addition to contributing greatly
to the professional development of the protagonists of the technical parts now conceived.