Architectural typologies of the handmade cheese makers in the semi-arid region, at Alagoas state, Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents the architectonic typology of the handcraft cheese factories of the semi-arid region of Alagoas, relating and verifying the result of the changes on the structure, especially because of the demanding of the rules concerning hygiene and food safety on dairy products. The goal is to identify the typological categories and relate them to the way the handcrafted cheese is made (“queijo coalho” and “queijo manteiga”), according to the regulations. The rural architecture was based on the connection between the environment built, the productive activity and the culture, in an effort to identify the constructive specificities of the local level. This work was based on the theory, determined by Argollo co-evolution. The architectonic cheese typologies were classified in three groups: the traditional (handcrafted cheese), the intermediate (handcrafted cheese or dairy) and the industrial (dairy), in relation to the inside and outside of the property, its composition and its organization.