Joana Rafael (b.1979) is an architect practitioner, researcher and writer, currently based in Porto. Holds a PhD in Visual Cultures and a MRes in Research Architecture from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a MA from the Metropolis program, once administered by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Center for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona. She dedicates herself to the development of projects and provides architectural consultancy. As a researcher, Joana develops interdisciplinary work centred on (issues of) ecology, contemporary, digital and material culture, technology and natural sciences. Uses writing as a research tool. Joana received the Erasmus+ grant (2001), FCT´s PhD Research Scholarship (2008), a study grant from Concordia University, Montreal (2008) and the Research (2019) and Production (2020) grant from Digital Cultures, Creative Industries NL, Netherlands - which led to the development of Lost Zone: Hiking the Dawn of the Metaverse, published by ViaIndustriae, Italia. Joana has been Assistant Professor at Central St. Martins, London (2009 – 2015), the University of Creative Arts, Canterbury (2013–15), the Instituto de Ciências Educativas, Penafiel (2017–20) and Escola Superior Artística do Porto (2020-2022). Teaches Contextual Studies and Contemporary Culture-related courses, and is a member of ISPUP (Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto) and CEGOT (Center for Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning). Joana is also a certified farmer.
Dirty Paths for a Green Mandate
Held / Published in portuguese as Caminho Sujo para um Mandato Limpo
in FIACED II, Penafiel, Portugal
Dirty Paths for a Green Mandate focuses on causes and solutions for environmental and planetary crises such as that brought by the huge amount of waste that we produce and dispose of globally, and on interests that offer objectives to be achieved through the mobilization of technical innovation: ie manufacturing, purchasing and using materials that reduce the volume and toxicity of the waste generated and favor reuse, recycling and composting instead of disposal. Within this focus, this paper highlights requirements of additional investment in factories, machines and the replacement of one type of waste with another. It argues, these are solutions that, although they are perceived as achievements towards sustainability goals, idealize the life cycle and endless renewal, ignore resources and act involved in the production of more waste, inherent in the design of alternative processes and substitute products, exacerbating even more environmental and ethical problems. As part of this hypothesis and through notes for research on waste reserves, this paper propels that the objectives set out highlight the fact that this set of solutions is governed by a mandate, in fact, still green and calls for comprehensive programs to discuss methods and techniques, together with a better understanding of the problems, in current education systems and campaigns.
