A preliminary study of emergency design for low-density territories: Towards a situated framework for rural fire preparedness

Joana Casteleiro Alvez Pitrez Ferreira; Mónica  Romãozinho

Authors

Joana Casteleiro-Pitrez iA* Arts Research Unit, University of Beira Interior https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1182-9108
Mónica Romãozinho iA* Arts Research Unit, University of Beira Interior https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0616-5845

Keywords:

Emergency design, Low-density territories, Rural wildfire, Territorial vulnerability, Provisional framework

Abstract

This article presents preliminary research into emergency design in low-density territories, focusing on rural and mountain regions exposed to wildfire risk. It argues that, in these contexts, emergency should not be understood as an isolated event but as a condition embedded in everyday territorial, social, and infrastructural dynamics.

Based on a narrative review of selected precedents, the study identifies four main areas of design intervention: product, communication and information, system, and social or service design. The analysis highlights the role of design in making vulnerabilities legible, supporting prevention and preparedness, and enabling locally grounded responses under conditions of limited accessibility, infrastructural fragility and communication constraints.

The study proposes a provisional framework structured around systemic, temporal and epistemic dimensions, emphasising the need for approaches that connect technical systems with local knowledge and territorial conditions. By doing so, it contributes to the clarification of emergency design as a situated practice concerned with mediation, prevention and collective capacity to act. It concludes by positioning emergency design for low-density territories as a transdisciplinary field of inquiry and outlines directions for future empirical research.

Author Biographies

Joana Casteleiro-Pitrez, iA* Arts Research Unit, University of Beira Interior

She is an Assistant Professor at University of Beira Interior and a senior researcher at iA* Arts Research Unit. Since 2021, she has been the Director of the Multimedia Design degree at UBI. She holds a PhD in Communication Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon (FBAUL). Her research explores various intersections between Design and New Technologies, with particular emphasis on interaction design, user experience, communication design, design for augmented and extended realities, AI-driven design processes, and design education. Over the years, she has acted as a scientific consultant for the National Innovation Agency and higher education accreditation bodies. She has participated in nationally and internationally funded research projects, published in indexed international journals, contributed chapters to international books, and taken part in collaborative research networks. She is also a member of editorial and scientific review committees for peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. Additionally, she was a board member in Covilhã’s successful application to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in Design.
Mónica Romãozinho, iA* Arts Research Unit, University of Beira Interior

Professor at University of Beira Interior since 2020 and Researcher at iA*. Director of the master’s degree in industrial design. She has developed academic projects in collaboration with other colleagues, promoting dialogue between craft and design and involving stakeholders in the Beira Interior territory, such as Fab Lab Aldeias do Xisto, Craft Lab Fundão, CENCAL, and Burel Factory, among other entities. She taught at the School of Applied Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco from 2003 to 2020. With a post-doctorate in Design and a PhD and Master in Design, at Faculty of Architecture, Technical University of Lisbon. Architecture degree. Regular participation in collective exhibitions namely Slovenian Jewelry Week, Milano Jewelry Week, and 1st Lisbon Contemporary Jewellery Biennial. With international articles published in the scope of craft design, history of design, and contemporary jewelry. Professional background in Architecture and Urban Planning.