António Carvalho Architecture as Space for People

Writing about one’s own architectural work is not easy, and yet, I’ll try it in this book. To me it means looking back into the last twenty-eight years of professional life. This book has been a delayed intention, always too busy designing, building and teaching, to stop and publish. But after teaching Design Studio in Portugal for so long, starting to do it in Milano, Italy, was the turning point that impelled me into this book. So these works correspond to a sample of the wide scope of commissions throughout time, whose diversity has allowed me to think, draw, experiment and build, always having in mind the people who will be using these spaces. That’s why I chose to publish only built works, the ones people and time can test. No matter the size or scale of the building, people will be there, people must be there. Without people, who would benefit from the views of a window framing the outside landscape or townscape? Who would benefit from the beauty of the light touching the materials of which architecture is made of? Who would justify the need for a comfortable space where to sleep, to read, to eat, to bathe, to work? To me, as an architect, it makes no sense to create spaces devoid of people, no matter how much I love sculpture and photography. It is people who inspire me to create spaces, imagining what they will need to perform their activities, the eventual pleasure they will get from a special view, the surprise of turning a corner and discovering a different space, ambience, or material. That’s why designing for children appeals to me: I find it inspiring to imagine how they will move and behave through space, how they will react to materials, to scale and acoustics (nobody like a small child to instinctively realize the drumming potential of a hardwood plank floor…). How they will grow in a house or in a school. Children have the naivete of moving around, exploring and discovering space. And I believe architecture is all about movement: not necessarily the movement of forms, rather the movement of people, inside or around volumes, as well as the movement of light and shadows. Life moves on, time moves on, but architecture should remain, whenever proven valuable for the people it is intended to. That’s why materials are so important. Making the right choices for a building to last is always a challenge, because it is not just a matter of budget and money. It has to do with climate, with use, with adaptability, with care. And people care. And I care about people. That’s also why in my Architectural Design Studio classes I like to challenge students to put people into their beautiful designs. Not just “to give scale” to the drawings: rather to think of real people in real life situations. Testing ideal drawings against tough situations will always deliver a stronger design solution. Looking back at all these built works, I see people: I see my clients, who commissioned the jobs and with whom I always enjoyed discussed step by step the design outcomes in order to fulfil their needs according to my design ideas; I see the contractors and workers who layer the bricks, stones and all pieces to bring design into reality (and who prove to be the best of allies whenever respected); I see the anonymous users whenever the building or space is public, I watch their behaviour and interaction with space, in order to learn and improve for the next design. And, because I’m talking of people, I’d like to mention and thank: my colleagues in school and profession with whom discussing architecture is so nurturing, with a special word to Gonçalo Byrne, a master and a friend; the builders who turn drawings into reality, with whom I enjoy discussing the best options for the best result; my collaborators who always contribute with enthusiasm to each design; my students with whom I learn so much by discussing our mutual passion; and the users of space. This book was made by special people: Juhani Pallasmaa whose writings, wisdom and sensibility have always been an inspiration and Gennaro Postiglione whose joy and passion for architecture I share — I remain deeply grateful to both. I’d also like to thank the editor Jorge Ferreira whose generous enthusiasm made it all possible, the designer Ruben Dias whose dedication and talent created a design piece beyond the book, the companies whose materials built my works, and a very special word of gratitude to my long time collaborator Tiago Lopes, whose dedication to the studio has been so important in many situations and, once again, for this book. But, because the last will be the first, I’d like to thank the ones who were determinant in my life: in memory of my parents Ant.nio (who taught me the importance of building well) and Teresa (who taught me the importance of being good), my brothers and sisters (with whom I learned the importance of sharing), and, above all, my wife Margarida who gave me the other two loves of my life: Mia and Mateus.