Claudio Vilarinho

Portugal

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PROFILE

Though young – established in 2005 by head architect Claudio Vilarinho – this Portuguese practice has already won several awards, including the 2007 Mobility Award, a competition for the AMI headquarters in Cascais where it was the youngest practice to be awarded, and first prize at the 2010 Lisbon Triennale. Vilarinho obtained his Masters degree at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid a few years ago. The studio’s work method is simple; starting from a single strong idea or image, they use creative solutions connected to a contemporary architectural language. The studio also values a minimalist approach, remaining flexible, sustainable and able to apply themselves to different scales, be it urban planning or furniture. The architect draws inspiration from a variety of places, from the human body, a painting or a flower to the work of fellow architects like Mansilla y Tunon, Peter Zumthor and SANAA.

House inserted into the middle of the rocks

In order to determine his chosen site for the Directory house, Claudio Vilaninho chose five rocks on the ground in the Portuguese countryside and from them drew circles, which determined the house’s final shape and size. Each facade was thus orientated towards one of the rocks, linking the house strongly to its location and the area’s geography. Inspired by the green surroundings, the house is connected to its locale in more ways than one; the wood and granite used are locally sourced. A series of removable walls inside makes for an especially flexible interior.


http://www.claudiovilarinho.com

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