Design & Build aims to intensify the international and multidisciplinary debate about how to improve housing conditions in fast growing slums. Design & Build challenges students to study a wide range of relevant subjects, to develop innovative solutions and to exchange these with others. Therefore, organising study groups, workshops, symposia, presentations and publications are an important part of this project as well. Another way of exposing the results of the project will be the building of several of the best student designs on a location in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Design & Build Brazil was preceded by two studies: in 2006 three students did research and made a design for low-cost housing in the small Brazilian city São José do Vale do Rio Preto and in 2007 two students made a design for a different location in the same town. Based on these prior studies, Design & Build Brazil was set up in 2007. The project started with a broad research on social housing in 2008 by a group of 6 students from various universities. In the first half of 2009, the second phase of the project, five student teams made low-cost technical designs for a complex of about 40 apartements. In the second half of 2009, various students do internships in Rio de Janeiro at the architectural office Chiq da Silva and at Fundação Bento Rubião, a NGO that works in the field of social housing and human rights. Aiming to exchange ideas and knowledge and to strengthen the network of students, professors and professionals, the HvA organises in November 2009 a symposium about Social Housing.

In the first semester of 2010, the third phase of the project, the best designs are planned to be built in Brazil.