Well-being in post-disaster shelters: the perception of the indigenous community, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzes the impacts of natural disasters on vulnerable communities, with emphasis on temporary shelters as spaces for physical protection, psychosocial restoration, and identity reconstruction. The objective was to identify environmental attributes that influence well-being and to propose design recommendations based on environmental perception. The research was conducted with the Xokleng Indigenous community in José Boiteux, Santa Catarina, Brazil, which is affected by recurrent flooding and the North Dam, using a qualitative approach that included interviews with Indigenous leaders and photography as a model. The results indicate that comfort and safety/security extend beyond material aspects, integrating symbolic, cultural, and social dimensions. The use of wood as an identity-related material, forms that symbolize collectivity (stars and beehives), cross-ventilation, natural lighting, galleries, and a spatial organization that balances privacy and community life, stand out. The findings also highlight the value of extended family living arrangements and active participation in planning, in contrast to standardized solutions. It is concluded that post-disaster shelters should be conceived as restorative, culturally contextualized, and participatory spaces that strengthen community resilience and promote the comprehensive recovery of vulnerable Indigenous populations.