The First Industrial Period: A Forgotten Period in Brazilian Construction History

Abstract

The study of the Brazilian construction history generally focuses on two main periods: the colonial or pre industrial and the modern or industrial. Between the two periods, the period, which is called here the “First Industrial Revolution Period”, is usually forgotten. This period is characterized by intensive use of brick and has characteristics that differ from the pre industrial period and also from the next period, which has cement and reinforced concrete as the main materials. In this paper, the importance and characteristics of this period are shown and a new time period list for the Brazilian construction history is proposed. Furthermore, the techniques and materials of the period are illustrated by the sample of construction of the first planned city in the country: Belo Horizonte. Belo Horizonte was constructed in order to make it the new capital of the Minas Gerais State, in the end of the 19th century, and all the “new” technology of the period was used in construction. The influence of the modern architectural movement with an approach that tries to deny the importance of the eclecticism and its technology in the history of architecture and construction is presented as one of the main causes for this unrealistic time period list of the Brazilian construction history, excluding this important period. The conclusion is that a more realistic timetable of the Brazilian construction history must include the First Industrial Period as part of it. Furthermore, it is confirmed by the successful use of this time period list in graduation and PhD programs.