Hybrid architecture in the Amazon: Floating houses and solar energy as sustainable strategies in riverine communities

This article presents an innovative proposal for integrating high-tech and low-tech technologies in Amazonian riverine communities, combining off-grid photovoltaic solar energy systems with traditional floating or stilt house architecture. The study is grounded in the premise that sustainable architectural solutions must be culturally embedded and technologically viable, particularly in response to energy exclusion and the socioenvironmental consequences of Brazil's centralized energy model. The article highlights historical data on the use of solar energy in the Amazon prior to 2022 and critically examines the inefficiencies and environmental costs of large-scale hydroelectric projects such as the Belo Monte Dam. The findings suggest that blending vernacular building practices with contemporary energy systems can yield resilient, scalable, and transformative solutions that promote both energy autonomy and socioeconomic empowerment in the region.