As Little as Possible
We are for the as little as possible.
This doesn’t refer to an architecture that seeks modern principles of subtraction in order to find clarity, nor to its counter-reactive, overly designed positions. Rather, it is an architecture inspired by the beauty of the pragmatism we find in nature and in industry.
These two worlds, often seen as opposites, share the quest for the as little as possible. A true functionalism that doesn’t exclude, reorder, or compromise, and precisely by not doing so, exposes itself to find the most remarkable and unexpected forms or solutions.
As little as possible is not something we dictate; it is a wish attached to every client brief. it comes from them, we joyfully embrace it.
Creating architecture for the here and now exposes us to the ready-made, the low budgets, the ever-changing scenarios, and, in the particular case of Portugal, a housing crisis. An economy of means (not meanings) is required in times of crisis. “To build half
a million homes with pediments and columns would be a wasted effort—something that, moreover, had already been rehearsed in the days of dictatorship,”1 noted Souto de Moura in his acceptance speech, words that have echoed in our minds ever since.
We emphasize that the pursuit of the as little as possible is not a necessity, but rather a matter of will.
The as little as possible doesn’t exclude a mannerist position; it embraces it. What is discarded are not ideas, connections, meanings, emotions, and/or correlations, but rather the unnecessary added elements often used as crutches to reach such results.
We find the clash of our ideas and collected memories with the as found to be fascinating. By not imposing a strict idea but exposing it to new conditions, a process is ignited that leads to unforeseeable results. The exploration of that uncertainty is key for us.
We feel closer to being curators rather than sculptors, explorers rather than creators.
This idea implies working with ready-made materials and exploring a contradiction or imbalance on their scale and context. Changing the typical setting in which they would usually be placed brings a new perception of the whole. There is always beauty in the ordinary.
These materials are bold, resistant, sharp and mostly designed to adapt. They are not soft.
That’s precisely what we love about them.
As we often say we are always ready—and so are the materials we work with.
1. Eduardo Souto de Moura, “The Pritzker Prize Acceptance Speech”, Mellon Auditorium, Washington D.C., 2011