The Nucleus for Neuroarchitecture Enquiry and Social Projects (NNESP) is a group formed by our students and alumni who come together with the goal of developing volunteer projects around the world, applying the principles of neuroarchitecture to promote positive social impact.
The purpose of this initiative is to offer participants a hands-on experience in applying neuroscience to the built environment, under the supervision of Andréa de Paiva, while deepening their knowledge in the field.

NUCLEUS FOR NEUROARCHITECTURE ENQUIRY AND SOCIAL PROJECTS
The initiative is already underway with its first projects
Community Space in Fumso Ketewa, Ghana
In partnership with Tropenbos Ghana and the local communities, the first international edition of the NNESP brings NeuroAU™ students and alumni into a collaborative process to co-design and build a pilot community space serving Fumso Ketewa, Fumso Krobo, and Atuam, located in the Adansi Asokwa District of the Ashanti Region.
This initiative strengthens ongoing forest restoration and agroforestry efforts led by Tropenbos Ghana and supported by the Community Resource Management Committee (CRMC), a trusted local structure that mobilizes farmers, women, and youth to protect and sustain their natural resources.
The pilot project focuses on transforming an existing building or outdoor area into a multifunctional space that supports farmer training, women’s group meetings, youth activities, and CRMC gatherings. By integrating science-informed, human-centric design with local wisdom, cultural practices, and traditional ways of organizing community life, the project aims to enhance comfort, learning, wellbeing, and social connection in a meaningful and culturally grounded way.
Grounded in an inclusive and participatory approach, this edition of the NNESP fosters genuine collaboration, place-attachment, and collective ownership. It also demonstrates how neuroarchitecture and science-informed design can contribute to sustainability, cognitive health, and community cohesion within a rural Ghanaian context.
With the engagement of 25 NeuroAU students and alumni, the project will generate meaningful educational, scientific, and social insights — offering a replicable model for other restoration communities across the Ashanti Region and beyond.
Local Partnership and Implementation
Kwame Sekyere
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Project manager at Tropenbos Ghana. He leads community focused forest and landscape restoration projects and works closely with local groups to strengthen governance and improve livelihoods. He has over ten years of experience in environmental conservation
Non profit organization committed to sustainable forest and landscape management. Working in Ghana since 2001, it supports ecosystem restoration, climate smart agriculture and community empowerment through research, training and policy engagement.

Coordination and Organization
Students and Alumni involved

Jasmina
Dragisic
From Switzerland
Architect and Interior Designer,
Specialist in Inclusivity, Mental health Neurodiversity, and Healthcare

Katarina
Trapp
From Finland, living in Norway
Architect (Healthcare, Educational and Residential)
Travessia Eco-Poá in São Paulo, Brazil
The first project of the volunteer program in Brazil focuses on the urban revitalization of the Travessia Eco-Poá and the nearby bus stop, both located in Taboão da Serra, São Paulo.
The project is carried out in partnership with the Taboão da Serra City Hall, the Casa do Adolescente (Adolescent House), and Mamilos da Terra. It involves the participation of the local community, which already sporadically uses the space for planting and various activities.
The revitalization of the Travessia seeks to transform the area to promote urban sustainability and inclusion, restore collective well-being and a sense of belonging among residents, and thus bring life, movement, and safety to a location that is currently underutilized.
This project is a meeting point involving 11 people (NeuroAU™ students and alumni) and connects individuals from different regions and backgrounds around a common purpose: using design and applied neuroscience in architecture to improve the lives of the people in the region.
Local Partnership and Implementation

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Andréa Muscat
Permaculturist, Architect, and Urban Planner at the Taboão da Serra City Hall's Secretariat of Environment

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Carla Borges
Social Worker for 18 years at the Taboão da Serra City Hall/SP, founder and director of the Center for Adolescent Health Care (C.A.S.A)


Mirian Steinberg
Environmentalist, Artivist with Master's research in Arts at UNESP, and Music Therapist. Participates in ABNT research on Nature-Based Solutions
Coordination and Organization
Students and Alumni involved













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