CITY AS A CLASSROOM:

GUIDED TOUR OF HISTORICAL AND MODERN BUILDINGS IN FORTALEZA WITH UNICHRISTUS STUDENTS

Abstract

This article presents a teaching experience report based on a guided technical visit to historical and modern buildings in the city of Fortaleza, conceived as a university outreach activity and a pedagogical strategy for teaching the history and theory of architecture. The experience was carried out in September 2025 with students from the Architecture and Urbanism program at Universidade Christus, enrolled in the courses Theory and History of Architecture and Urbanism I and Theory and History of Architecture in Brazil and Latin America. The objective was to foster students’ engagement with the city’s architectural and urban heritage, encouraging critical observation, the articulation between theory and practice, and the appreciation of collective memory. The adopted methodology is qualitative and descriptive, involving guided field observation, faculty mediation, photographic records, sketch production, and the preparation of individual critical reports. The results demonstrate an expansion of students’ knowledge of Fortaleza’s urban history, the development of analytical skills regarding the built heritage, and a deeper understanding of the city as a field of academic investigation. It is concluded that the experience contributed to the students’ critical and civic education, reinforcing the role of university outreach in articulating teaching, heritage, and urban culture.