Our Sustainable Architecture Postgraduation programme integrates online theory courses with practical three-week workshops. This academic year, students from a diverse mix of nationalities, backgrounds, and disciplines have engaged in a profound learning experience. Their shared desire to contribute to a more sustainable future has led them to gain invaluable hands-on experience in natural materials and building techniques. The practical construction workshops are the essence of our post-graduation programme. Every semester, students arrive in Porto to apply their online knowledge to real-worl ..read more

Jump to recipe! Applying a bio-based oil mixture to protect our wood structures is still essential for our work. Our original recipe included coconut oil and needed to be heated in order to combine the various other oils. Therefore we started to experiment with removing the coconut oil which has shown good results on wood. However, the process of heating the oils together with turpentine is time consuming and potentially harmful to the health of the person producing it. Therefore we invested some more time to do research on improving our formula of a wood protection oil-mixture. Our parameters ..read more

Lime has been used as a building material for thousands of years because of its unique properties. Lime is strong, durable and flexible, which means that it can withstand construction loads without breaking down. It is also breathable, allowing moisture to evaporate, reducing the risk of dampness and mold. Historically lime has been used as a mortar and plaster in many parts of the world. It’s unclear when exactly lime started being used in building, but it’s well documented that the Roman Empire used a lot of lime based mortars. [1]  Lime is produced by heating limestone (sedimentary roc ..read more

Introduction How paint affects the environment In general all paints are prepared according to a simple recipe featuring 5 basic ingredients: Paint is composed of liquid, solvents, resins, pigments and various additives. Pigments give the paint colour; solvents make it easier to apply; resins help it dry; and additives serve as everything from fillers to anti fungicidal agents. General Compounds of Paint There are many different types of paint, yet we can broadly distinguish paints by their composition. It’s crucial to pay attention to whether they have natural ingredients or artificial ch ..read more

    Introduction Throughout history, underutilised plots of land have been repurposed into gardens – for instance for recreational purposes, for aesthetic reasons, but also for harvesting food or medical products like herbs. The practice of turning fallow land into gardens also presents valuable opportunities for sustainable urban development and public spaces. Typically, gardening activities take place on private grounds by the respective owners/legal tenants or – if on public land – are formally authorised and planned, e.g. through stakeholders such as municipal stakeholders. Howev ..read more

Introduction: green urban ecosystems and climate resilience As a consequence of the climate crisis, extreme weather events occur more frequently and with more drastic impacts across the globe. For instance, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, heavy rainfall and storms have haunted Portugal in the past years – and are likely to increase in the future [1]. Due to this, we have to carefully think about how to design and adapt our built environment to be as resilient as possible to these new challenges. One of the many important areas of transformation towards more resilience lies within our urban sp ..read more

Public spaces should be dynamic spaces that fit the needs of surrounding communities and contribute to social cohesion. These spaces are very important when we think of the liveability of our cities: and even more so when we are intervening in places where private living conditions are not providing all the comfort everyone should have access to. They should integrate with nature and promote resilient ecosystems, facing nowadays’  harsh climate change. Temporary interventions can be used to foster the vibrancy of a community, however they often involve lots of materials that last for a se ..read more

INTRODUCTION You may be wondering how the chemical cleaning products you use at home can harm the environment. It seems like many people are starting to abandon the dazzling and colourful chemical products, which always awe us when we turn to that section in the supermarket. So, why is it actually good to turn to simpler and less perfumed DIY cleaning solutions? Why are people now starting again to use vinegar, bicarbonate, and other weird mixes to clean their houses? This article will dive into the harmful impact chemical cleaning products have on the environment. To avoid further polluting ..read more

Introduction The unconscious use of our natural resources for centuries has led us to a critical situation from which there is no going back. Environmentalism urges us to look for alternatives to our conventional behavior. The ecological movements around the world have shown us that there are many ways to consciously use the natural resources we have. Water is fundamental for –most kinds of– life. And yet, water is a finite source. We will start by explaining what a rainwater harvesting system is; the basic concepts and requirements for a healthy and secure scheme; and two of our projects as s ..read more

Public spaces should be dynamic spaces that fit the needs of surrounding communities and contribute to social cohesion. These spaces are very important when we think of the liveability of our cities: and even more so when we are intervening in places where private living conditions are not providing all the comfort everyone should have access to. They should integrate with nature and promote resilient ecosystems, facing nowadays’  harsh climate change. Temporary interventions can be used to foster the vibrancy of a community, however they often involve lots of materials that last for a se ..read more