Architecture as a Shared Path of Exploration
#TalkingWith Sebastião Ribeiro / Atelier AAVV
In the world of construction, the choices we make define the spaces and atmospheres where we will live in the future, so the criteria with which these choices are made through architecture are essential. According to Sebastião Ribeiro, this commitment to criteria should extend to the entire design and construction process and to all those involved in it, as part of a “shared construction.” For this reason, he is the perfect guest for another #TalkingWith.
Architect and founder of Atelier AAVV – a studio that combines a collaborative approach with the fundamental concerns of architecture –Sebastião Ribeiro talks to us about the importance of architecture and the current challenges within the practice in Portugal.
In general terms, what is the importance of architecture?
Beauty is important, and architecture represents the possibility of seeking it in the things we build. The process of thinking and constructing a building involves many circumstances and constraints that condition the work, and therefore, it is necessary to establish a criterion that transforms the action on these circumstances into a critical path of exploration. Without the perspective of architecture, in the current context, construction can easily become merely a response to the constraints of immediate circumstances, losing the opportunity to make each construction a work of meaning.
To what extent can a project also impact the neighborhood and the city?
All buildings have an impact, as they are part of a context and therefore participate in a whole that transcends them. Of course, this contribution can have different degrees of scope and depth, depending on the character and scale of the works, but there is always an effect, whether large or small, positive or negative, and so it is up to us to try to do the right thing.
The city and the territory are composed of many different elements, and our work involves discovering the role that a new element can play within this whole. In this project for a building in the Praça das Flores area, where we are working with Beelt, this question is clearly presented, as we are intervening in a consolidated area of Lisbon’s urban fabric, with its own identity that everyone recognizes as valuable. The challenge of rehabilitating and expanding an existing building represents, on one hand, the need to understand the context of the intervention and what should be preserved, but on the other hand, also to seek the appropriate character for what is new and the possibilities that arise in articulating with the spatial and typological goals established for the building.
What are the greatest current constraints on your profession?
We are all familiar with the constraints of licensing processes or the difficulties that uncertainties and changes often introduce into the development of projects and the execution of works, with significant consequences in extending the timeline of projects. However, for us, the greatest challenge in architectural work is always the restless desire to find the right answer for each place.
Do you believe that the Simplex will be a positive contribution?
The principle of simplifying bureaucratic procedures seems generally positive to us. Therefore, we hope that the outcome of this adaptation process can improve the framework for project work, although we still do not have a complete understanding of how the broad set of proposed changes will be implemented. In any case, our expectation is that, after a transition period where we learn how to deal with some problematic consequences of this new framework, we can achieve that positive contribution.
Ideally, would it be important to have the collaboration of contractors during the execution of a project? What advantages would this bring, and what mistakes could be avoided?
Bringing together a group of people, including the real estate developer, the builder, and the project teams, who are motivated by a common purpose and where relationships of trust and harmony can be established, is a decisive factor for the project to go smoothly from conception to completion.
In this context, the possibility of having the contractor’s collaboration to confirm some design options can be a significant contribution. In the case of the project we are developing with Beelt, this assumption is secure, and it has allowed for mutual understanding early on in the project development, which represents an advantage in the preparation of the work. We believe that the possibility of collaborating, sharing different and complementary knowledge and experiences, and understanding each other’s roles brings us closer to the common goal of building well.
