Ph.D. candidate at PPG.au/UFV defends her dissertation
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Ligiana Fonseca, a doctoral student in Architecture and Urbanism (PPG.au), defended her thesis, titled “Thermal and energy adaptation of a school building to climate change,” on February 27, 2026, under the supervision of Professor Joyce Correna Carlo of UFV and co-supervision of Professor Francisco Javier Rey-Martínez of the University of Valladolid (UVa).
The study aimed to analyze which combinations of passive and active low-energy-consumption measures applied in the retrofit of a school building are technically and economically viable for Viçosa, Minas Gerais, in a climate change scenario. The research used Classroom Pavilion 2 (PVB) at the Federal University of Viçosa as a case study.
As a preliminary result of the study, the article “Potential of natural ventilation and active cooling systems for thermal comfort improvement of an educational building under climate change scenarios” was published in the journal Frontiers of Architectural Research (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2026.02.002).
In addition to the advisors, the following professors served on the committee: Nayara Rodrigues Marques Sakiyama (PPG.au UFV and UFVJM), Martin Ordenes Mizgier (UFSC), and Ana Tejero-González (UVa). The work was carried out with support from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – Brazil (CAPES) – Funding Code 001, the Minas Gerais State Research Support Foundation (FAPEMIG), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). It was conducted within the scope of project 406426/2022-8 - Technologies for Adapting Buildings to Climate Change: Energy Efficiency, Photovoltaic Generation, and Emissions Reduction in Schools, funded by CNPq, and supported by the TRAPECIO Network (Enabling Technologies for Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings in Ibero-America) and the Cyted program (Ibero-American Program for Science and Technology for Development).