Farmácia Fuentesaúco Project by David Hernandez Arquitectura: Architecture in Rural Areas

A comprehensive project for the reconstruction and modernization of the Santo António Primary School was presented by the project team. The school was built in the early 1950s as part of the Centenarians Plan and was originally designed by architect Inácio Pereshem Fernandes in 1947. It aligns with the urban model of the Alvalade district, based on the concept of neighborhood unity.

The building retains most of its original characteristics and is recognized as representative heritage of the first phase of this plan. Initially, the school was designed with separate sections for boys and girls, but some aspects no longer align with the current mixed operation. An example was the doubling of dining hall spaces on two levels, which made kitchen operations inefficient.

Originally, the building featured a robust structure, strict architecture, and the use of durable materials, especially reinforced concrete elements. These qualities have been preserved and enhanced during the new intervention.

The project restored the architectural coherence of the entire complex, eliminated functional inconsistencies, and updated thermal, acoustic characteristics, as well as accessibility. Existing buildings were renovated to accommodate administrative offices, a staff room, classrooms, and nursery facilities, aiming to improve comfort and safety while preserving architectural value.

The proposed concept established clear zoning, separating the primary school from the nursery through independent circulation routes and separate recreational areas. Nursery classrooms are located on the ground floor with direct outdoor access. Two new collective volumes, executed in a modern style and scale harmonious with the existing complex, were added. One houses the kitchen, dining hall, and library, while the other contains a sports hall and a multi-functional space open to the public.

The original dining hall building was transformed into a central hub connecting the blocks of classrooms and covered rest areas. Located next to the new dining hall and sports hall, this space also serves as an extension of the library. The external areas were reconstructed to include playgrounds designated for each age group, while preserving large existing trees.

Finally, the main entrances were preserved and improved by creating a closed concierge service that maintains visual permeability towards the neighboring block.

Thus, the intervention allowed for the modernization of the school while strengthening its identity and architectural unity, improving functional and pedagogical conditions, and enhancing accessibility to meet contemporary requirements.

The design team described that a large and level plot of land, intended for the construction of a residence with a maximum area of 250 m², inspired the placement of the house in a way that maximizes the connection between the covered internal areas and the external spaces.

The final layout follows a logic already used in other residential projects by the office, where the circulation paths between the environments are designed as covered walkways, but open on the sides, dispensing with frames or walls. This feature aims to extend the living experience between the interior and the exterior of the building.

The Ateneu University Center (UniAteneu) has restructured the curriculum matrix for its six undergraduate courses in Information Technology (IT). Furthermore, laboratories dedicated to Robotics and Innovation have been inaugurated, yielding notable results, such as an alumnus leading a company operating in Brazil and the United States, and a group of students and graduates who developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) focused on self-knowledge.

The IT programs were reformed to keep pace with the progress of AI. Currently, the institution offers three bachelor's degrees in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Software Engineering, along with three technological undergraduate courses: Systems Analysis and Development (ADS), Computer Networks, and Information Technology Management. All these courses aim to provide high-level training aligned with the demands of the Information Technology market.

The most noticeable change occurs at the beginning of the academic journey: the 'Artificial Intelligence Engineering' discipline has been incorporated into all six courses starting in the first semester. According to the coordination, the objective is for the student to complete the first period with the capacity to manage AI projects, allowing them to seek internships, provide services, or get a job early in the course.

Professor Mr. Sandro Costa Mesquita, coordinator of UniAteneu's IT courses, clarified that AI is no longer a topic reserved for the end of the course or research. He stated that today it functions as a starting point. By learning from the first semester how AI is created, trained, evaluated, and implemented, the student views the rest of the content from another perspective and can already add value to the market. This constitutes the formation of an AI manager, someone who understands the capabilities and limitations of the technology and how to integrate it into real processes.

Labs for cutting-edge disciplines

The intention is for the student not to limit themselves to studying these subjects only theoretically, but also to build and test solutions throughout their undergraduate studies. To support this new curriculum matrix, UniAteneu invested in campus infrastructure, building two Robotics labs, two more Informatics labs, and an innovation room. These spaces support subjects such as 'Artificial Intelligence', 'Machine Learning', 'Deep Learning', 'Computer Vision', 'Internet of Things', 'Quantum Computing', and 'Robotics'. As mentioned by Professor Mr. Sandro Mesquita, the purpose is for the student to develop and test solutions in projects that replicate demands from companies and the public sector.

One of the results highlighted by the institution is the success of graduates in entrepreneurship. Luccas Lima, an alumnus of UniAteneu's ADS Course, is the CEO and founder of Netup, a technology company that combines systems, Artificial Intelligence, data, and automation for corporations. Netup is headquartered in São Paulo and operates in Florida, United States, and recently participated in the Siará Tech Summit 2026, held in Fortaleza this October.

AI that asks questions instead of giving answers

Another project involving the academic community of Ateneu University Center is SophChat, an Artificial Intelligence designed for human development, combining knowledge, experts, and technology. Unlike conventional assistants, this model was not designed to provide ready-made answers; it guides interaction through questioning, following a methodology inspired by the Socratic method. This allows the user themselves to discover the origin of an insecurity, indecision, or discomfort they cannot name.

Davy Barros is the originator of this initiative. His premise is that contemporary society simultaneously lives in the age of information and the age of disconnection. SophChat emerges as a hub for human development, uniting technology, knowledge, and experts to help a person understand their identity and purpose.

The behavioral logic of the model is supervised by Wesley Bohry, an expert in DISC and Enneagram since 1990 and creator of the DeHu Super Humans method. The technical team responsible for the model's training and development consists of three generations of UniAteneu: Professor Mr. Sandro Mesquita, alumnus Luccas Lima, and Rodrigo Mesquita, a Software Engineering student. The coordinator of UniAteneu's IT courses emphasized that SophChat exemplifies what the new curriculum seeks to generate. He highlighted that it is not a common chatbot, but rather a model with specific behavioral logic, curated by an expert and trained to formulate the correct question instead of offering the most probable answer. The participation of an undergraduate student in this project, alongside an entrepreneurial graduate, demonstrates that the AI training offered transcends the classroom and materializes in real products used by real people.

Training connected to the market

The commitment of UniAteneu's IT courses is to train professionals who do not need to wait until graduation to start their activities. This curriculum reform follows a trend observed in the Ceará market itself. Fortaleza has become a hub for events and innovation initiatives, and UniAteneu encourages the participation of faculty and students in these environments, whether as mentors, exhibitors, or participants.

For the coordination, the combination of an updated curriculum, the availability of laboratories, and contact with the innovation ecosystem is what enables the student to enter the market prepared to act early. Professor Mr. Sandro Mesquita reiterated that, with the use of AI resources in the first semester, labs for solution creation, and an environment rich in nearby events and companies, the student is able to undertake entrepreneurship, research, or be hired long before receiving the diploma. The examples of Netup and SophChat represent the beginning of what is expected to be seen more frequently.

About UniAteneu

The Career Support Nucleus (NAC) is the sector responsible for guiding and monitoring students throughout their academic and professional journey. Ateneu University Center strengthens its presence in higher education in Ceará through quality academic training linked to the changes and needs of the job market. The institution maintains strategic collaborations with various companies and organizations, preparing professionals capable of different areas, which increases the chances of access to internships and job vacancies for students and alumni.

An important differentiator of the institution is the Career Support Nucleus (NAC), which assists in planning and developing students' academic and professional trajectories. Additionally, UniAteneu provides an educational experience that unites theoretical knowledge with practical experience, using modern and well-equipped laboratories, under the supervision of qualified and experienced professors in their respective fields. As a result of this focus on academic excellence and employability, UniAteneu trains new professionals in Information Technology every semester, ready to operate with technical competence, responsibility, and strategic vision in private companies, public agencies, and civil society entities, thus contributing to the advancement of the job market and society.