Portugal Lessons: Environmental Objects. Teaching and Research in Architecture

Architectural objects confront their environment. They constitute a boundary, a form with an internalised point of view. Understanding architecture as environmental objects suggests a questioning of these dichotomies of separation between the symbolic landmark and the landscape background. It represents an architecture that amplifies nature, attunes to it and makes us aware of it. Portugal Lessons takes Portugal as a case study for such contextualism going beyond an understanding of design as immunisation. Based on the latest research program conducted by EPFL’s Laboratory Basel (laba), it explores the topic of this architectural boundary: with whom we live, to whom we open our house, how permeable the boundary should be. The findings are visualised in striking images, graphics and maps. The book also features proposals for architectural interventions by laba’s students, all of them tackling issues of housing.
AUTHORS: Harry Gugger is an architect based in Basel, and a Professor at EPFL’s School of Architecture, heading the school’s satellite studio Laboratory Basel (laba). Barbara Costa is an architect and laba’s Head of Research. Salome Gutscher is an architect currently working as a teaching assistant at laba. Stefan Hoerner is an architect and laba’s Head of Teaching. Charlotte Truwant is an architect currently working as research assistant at laba.
161 colour, 209 b/w illustrations