/// A NEW COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT

/// TO START THE YEAR

(ENG) We are starting the year with a project for two pavillions dedicated to art display. More news soon.

/// REECUENTROS IBÉRICOS

(ENG) We have finally landed in the office after a few days in the spainish city of Valladolid. We went there to take part in the Reencuentros Ibéricos de Arquitectura. The directors of the event were the architects Francisco Mangado and Eduardo Souto Moura who commented all the works that have been presented by the six portuguese and six spanish emerging architects and offices that took part in this forum. The discussion focussed on the limits of the discipline and on the growing tendency of young architects to stretch the operative fields of architecture to different areas such as micro interventions in public spaces or the design of strategies for large territories. We had the opportunity to meet lots of interesting people and to talk with architects that, unitl then, we only knew by the name without associating a face to it. We had a great time. Thanks to Jacobo Garcia Germán, Ariadna Cantis and Maitez Rodriguez for for all the organization.

/// GAME CHANGER

(ENG) We had teamed with GPOD to produce Game Changer. The aim of our proposal, is to show that change is at everyone's reach, and that we all have the tools needed for being active agents of change.


The theme of sports seemed ideal for 2 main reasons: 1 - its collaborative essence; 2 - everyone knows sports very well. The idea is to have groups of people actively taking part on a system they know so well - the game, which we change in ways that it can almost be played as everyone knows it, but not really! Consequently, every player individually and as a group, will have to refrain it automatic knowledge of the game, and go back to learn about it in order to  play it.

More than the sports we chose to work on our proposal, the location in town as well as the way we chose to have them represented in the urban space, were the two driving forces guiding the creative process. Also as agents of change ourselves, we decided to intervene in spaces where the need for a successful negotiation with the current use of a given urban area, being it a street, a parking lot or a square, would be a determinant point for the success of the installation. For this we also rely on the help of the eventual players which by wanting to play those games we propose, will help us on achieving that negotiation. 

The urban spaces chosen, having primary functions perfectly defined in urban terms, being temporarily misused by the introduction of a new sportive functionality, will become a natural invitation for the population to think about the potential of their neighborhoods and how they can evolve. The deliberate choice of going towards the periphery of the city, meaning going away from the obvious urban areas where cultural events take place, aims at emphasizing the notion that everyone can be an active agent of change - a game-changer.

/// MOOV FUNDECOR PROPOSAL PUBLISHED IN LW MAGAZINE

/// FUNDECOR NEW HEADQUARTER COMPETITION - OTHER PROJECTS

(ENG) If you have curiosity, we leave here the link for the facebook page of the Fundecor New Headquarter Competition where the organization published all the awarded projects.

/// FUNDECOR NEW HEADQUARTER PROJECT - 2nd PRIZE

(ENG) The fundamental concern that guided the decision process from the start was how to produce a solution that is at the same time environmentally responsible, functional, cost effective and iconic. The circular shape of the building aims at giving a positive response to all of the above.
The circular form recalls ideas that have always been associated with it such as continuity, regeneration, balance, and centrality. It evokes movement and, at the same time, summons the idea of place to meet, to gather.

The radial disposition of individual spaces allows taking full advantage of the landscape in all 360 degrees, and the functional distribution of the program, set in array around an inner circular patio, where people can gather. Under the single continuous gesture of the large roof surface are generated distinct spaces, from totally enclosed rooms, to fully open spaces, suiting each space to its function according to the program.
The building is lifted from the ground, leaving the terrain topography untouched, reducing to almost none the need for excavation or land filling. The natural flow of rain water is also preserved. That also allows air to move under the construction, cooling it, and gives the building a more prominent presence, as a landscape reference.

This project not only preserves the locations and offers living conditions to its dwellers as is also enhances the actual natural conditions, by regenerating the plot.

/// MOOV GETS 2nd PRIZE IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

(ENG) It is a pleasure to inform that our proposal obtained the Second Prize in the International Architecture Design Competition “Symbiosis in the Rural Landscape” for the new headquarters of Fundecor in Puerto Viejo, Sarapiquí, Province of Heredia, Costa Rica. We will soon get back to the blog with more details about our project and the competition.

/// VEGETABLE GARDEN - CONSTRUCTION DAY #8

(ENG) - It continues the construction of the community vegetable garden in Vale da Amoreira. The work is going slow but is going forward step by step. The plan is to finish the storage houses and the plantation marks in the next weeks and then to do all the finishes with students when they back to school.
Some updated images of the construction site:

/// VEGETABLE GARDEN - CONSTRUCTION DAY #5

/// VEGETABLE GARDEN - CONSTRUCTION DAY #1

/// COMMUNITY VEGETABLE GARDEN

(ENG) After a long waiting for funds and several community meetings, it will be under construction during July 2011 the vegetable garden developed by MOOV to the community of Vale da Amoreira. Follow the construction during July in our blog.

/// KITCHAIN IS BACK

(ENG) From 24.06 to 02.07.2011, Kitchain will be again in activity in the Festival Belluard Bollwerk Internacional . Follow the day by day of it in the Kitchain blog.

/// KITCHAIN 2011 LAYOUT

(ENG) We start to have a ritual in the office since we won the competition in 2009 to design the Festival centre OF the Belluard Bollwerk International in Fribourg with our proposal Kitchain. Every April, since then, arrives an email from the direction of the Festival asking for a new layout to the next edition.

For this year, we divided the tables layout in two areas: a cooking and eating area and a lounge and bar area. As we believe that Arsenal has a great potencial to host complementary actvities such as films screening, performances, lectures, etc,  we leave an empty space between this two areas to let extra activities to happen.  We are now trying to convince the festival to build a small grandstand for about 15/20 seats that can be moved around the space according to the events.

For this year we also introduce what we call a "Japanese corner". A lounge area where people can eat, drink and talk seated on pillows.Technically, it is made by the flat table units adjusted with a wooden piece of about 42cm from the floor. 

Over the last years we noticed that many people like to enjoy the grass near by the Kitchain, so we planned a big table there, where people can also eat and gather there. This table, as the japanese corner, is made by 2 flat table units adjusted with a wooden piece of about 42cm from the floor, allowing eating at the table while you are seating on the grass!

Until now, Kitchain has been a great adventure where we have the opportunity to meet new and interesting people and reinvent our proposal each new Festival edition. We hope to continue to surprise the people, offering new solutions with the same furniture and to continue to have a lot fun in the process.

Below the two previous layout and, in first hand ,this year's layout. 

/// RAISING THE MODERNIST FLAG IN DALLAS

(ENG) The weekend is just around the corner, so it's the right time to leave here a link to an interesting article about Forwarding Dallas project publish on the website of  The American Institute of Architects. Have a nice weekend.

/// COMMUNITARY KITCHEN GARDEN PROJECT IN VALE DA AMOREIRA STARTS

/// MARIBOR PROJECT PUBLISHED IN ARQ./A

(ENG) The double number 84/85 of Arq./a magazine is dedicated to present projects and interviews of the four offices - Plano B, José Pedro Sousa, Extrastudio, Atelier Data - selected for this year edition Geração Z.

Our friends from Atelier Data selected three projects to publish and among them are the proposal for Maribor Contemporary Art Museum competition that we developed together. Go and have a look.

Atelier Data + MOOV

Maribor Contemporary Art Museum competition proposal

/// SWARS IN BEYOND MAGAZINE

SWARS - Architecture Strikes Back*

Abstract

In an increasingly mediated world, the Architect is essentially a signature. An actor presenting himself as the author of magic formulae. This signature is the skill of his success and an ace of trump in the step-by-step conquest of galactic battles. In this realm it is not the architecture that matters, but what is able to sell and emulate through the mass media system. In the wake of globalization, opportunities democratization was announced, but instead of that Empires massification came. The battle is violent – the Empire is unstable. Will the new architects-fighters be able to write a fairer story or they will just passively wait for the downfall of the throne? SWARS – ARCHITECTURE STRIKES BACK graphic novel is a reflection about contemporary architecture’s production and promotion through an epic space satire, where the paradigmatic buildings of the Empire have been transformed in spacecrafts and space stations that fight each other for galactic supremacy.

*SWARS is a project develop by MOOV and DASS

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Beyond no.3 - Trends and Fads

Short Stories on the Post-Contemporary... The third issue of Beyond speaks of historical leanings and intimate fads, private whims and future inclinations. The stories included here recall the life of buildings, readdress the philosophy of fashion, question architecture’s yearning for enduring permanence, and offer outstanding insights into how drifts and crazes influence the perception and foundation of contemporary urban landscapes.

more information here

/// COVA DA MOURA INTERVENTION

(ENG) In Lisbon’s the chic favela, life runs paused for years waiting for the Cova da Moura Master Plan to politically determine the future measures that finally promise to connect the neighborhood to the adjacent city. In this heavily restricted scenario by the decision-making machine and also by the current construction ban, Moov were invited by DGArtes to artistically intervene in public space within the Iniciativa Bairros Críticos.

Rather than presenting an artistic piece inspired in the neighborhood but disconnected to the real needs of the community, we tried to develop something that could actually be enjoyed by the population through the improvement of the entries of Local Associations inducing and supporting also a common neighborhood identity.

In a neighborhood where most lives never go outside of its perimeter, the journey seems to have more hours and wear is already noticeable. There are rumors about music, moambs and beer in the end of all ining works.

(PT) Na favela chic de Lisboa, as vidas correm pausadas há anos à espera que o Plano de Pormenor do Bairro da Cova da Moura determine politicamente as futuras medidas que prometem finalmente ligar o bairro à cidade adjacente. Neste cenário, amplamente condicionado pela máquina dos processos de decisão e pelo embargo à construção, os Moov, a convite da Direcção Geral das Artes, desenvolveram uma intervenção artistica no espaço público do bairro no âmbito da Iniciativa Bairros Críticos.

Mais do que apresentar uma peça alheia às reais necessidades do bairro, tentámos trazer algo de novo que possa realmente ser usufruído pela população por intermédio da melhoria das entradas das Associações Locais induzindo afirmação de uma identidade comum.

Num bairro onde grande parte das vidas nunca saem do seu perímetro, a jornada parece ter mais horas e o desgaste já começa a ser notório. Há rumores de música, moamba, tremoços e minis no final dos trabalhos.

/// Czech TV

Exhibition Architecture and Inclusion, Prague.

Open (class)room from 2m03s to 2m25s of the video.