THE POTENTIAL OF BAMBOO FOR INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND PRODUCTIVE INCLUSION IN PERIPHERAL URBAN AREAS

This article aims to disseminate the potential of bamboo as a raw material for the development and production of artifacts that contribute to productive and social life in peripheral urban communities. The research, carried out as part of a master's degree in Design, was conducted in the communities of Confisco and Coqueiros, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which are characterized by high socioeconomic vulnerability. It was identified that local artisans faced difficulties in marketing their products due to the high cost of renting traditional market stalls. Given this context, a stall was developed based on eco-design principles, using Phyllostachys aurea bamboo, with the following characteristics: low cost, demountable, compact, durable, easy to assemble, and capable of being produced with simple tools by the artisans themselves. The project included training workshops on bamboo craft techniques for manufacturing stalls, promoting learning and empowerment among participants. Although still ongoing, partial results indicate that the initiative can promote environmental awareness, critical thinking, and community strengthening, in addition to increasing the productive and economic autonomy of artisans, especially among Black women from low-income neighborhoods with limited formal education.