Architecture Offices in Porto Through the Lens of Marc Goodwin

Porto’s architectural legacy has long been shaped by the weight of history and the clarity of form. From the work of Álvaro Siza to the dense network of studios emerging from the city’s schools, Porto offers a unique blend of continuity and reinvention. Here, architecture is not only a matter of design but often one of endurance — of working within constraints, of drawing with precision, and of navigating a built environment marked by permanence and resistance to spectacle.

Yet within this persistent context, a new generation of architects has been reshaping the field with quiet determination. Often formed in shared spaces, these practices balance autonomy with collaboration and meticulous detailing with broader urban concerns. Their studios tend to reflect this ethos: modest in scale, defined by adaptive reuse, and rooted in the material reality of the city. In these workspaces, architecture unfolds as a process — sometimes speculative, sometimes grounded — but always reflective of a practice that is deeply local and increasingly global.

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Marc Goodwin’s photographic series offers a rare look into the spaces where architecture is made. In Porto, he captured studios that range from repurposed industrial sites to compact ateliers embedded in the city’s fabric. His images reveal not only the settings in which architects work, but also the quiet processes, tools, and atmospheres that define each practice. Together, these spaces portray a multifaceted portrait of architectural production in the city today.

Nuno Melo Sousa

• Address: Rua Fonte de Honor nº15 Penafiel
• Year you moved in: 2012
• Year building was built: 2010
• Previous use of building: This space was a garage
• Architect who designed it: José Manuel Soares
• Square metres: 100 m2 (atelier space)
• Number of people working in studio: 5

fala atelier lda

• Address: Rua do Geres 11, 4050-286 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2018
• Year building was built: 1933 (renovated by fala in 2016-2018)
• Previous use of building: house
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: 200 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 10

Oitoo

• Address: Rua António José da Silva 63, Porto
• Year you moved in: 2018
• Year building was built: The building was originally built in the 1970s.
• Previous use of building: It used to be a warehouse, but it had been vacant since 1974, when we did a reuse project for it, in 2017, to adapt it to a shared office space, and our studio, of course.
• Architect who designed it: No architect was involved in the original project. It was an engineer/draftsman/builder endeavour.
• Square metres: 400 m2 + 200 m2 backyard, which we repurposed as a garden.
• Number of people working in the studio: 10

SUMMARY

• Address: Rua Monte Cativo, nr.258, 4050-399 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2019
• Year building was built: 1980
• Previous use of building: Industrial
• Architect who designed it: The building was designed by an engineer, just like many others at that time.
• Square metres: 100 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 10

atelier local

• Address: Rua Sousa Paupério 79, Valongo
• Year you moved in: 2021
• Year building was built: early 19th century (it was renovated by us in 2020-2021)
• Previous use of building: it was a bakery, a grocery store and a house.
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: around 150 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 2

ATELIERDACOSTA

• Address: Rua Avelino Barros 303, Póvoa de Varzim
• Year you moved in: 2016
• Year building was built: 2008
• Previous use of building: before our studio, the space was empty
• Architect who designed it: The studio was redesigned by us, the building was designed by Jean Pierre Porcher.
• Square metres: 120 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 9

Architectural Affairs

• Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 578, 4050-379 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2022
• Year building was built: 70’s
• Previous use of building: garage/art gallery
• Architect who designed it: unknown
• Square metres: around 250 m2 (shared with Diogo Aguiar Studio)
• Number of people working in studio: 1

Diogo Aguiar Studio

• Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 578, 4050-379 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2022
• Year building was built: 70’s
• Previous use of building: garage/art gallery
• Architect who designed it: unknown
• Square metres: around 250 m2 (shared with Architectural Affairs)
• Number of people working in studio: 8

FAHR 021.3

• Address: Rua Miguel Bombarda 425, 4050-378 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2023
• Year building was built: 1976, renovated by FAHR in 2023
• Previous use of building: Garage
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: 326 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 3 + 20 shared

EXPERIMENTAL

• Address: Rua da Fontinha, 43
• Year you moved in: 2020
• Year building was built: 1978
• Previous use of building: Motorbike workshop
• Architect who designed it: Unknown
• Square metres: 270 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 8

Paulo Moreira Architectures

• Address: Rua dos Clérigos 44, 4050-204 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2018
• Year building was built: 1955, renovated by Paulo Moreira Architectures in 2017-18
• Previous use of building: Warehouse
• Architect who designed it: José Júlio de Brito
• Number of people working in studio: 4

Crea – Arquitetos

• Address: Praça Coronel Pacheco, 2, sala 137, UPTEC Baixa 4050-453 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2014
• Year building was built: 1870
• Previous use of building: School, and Faculty
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: 30 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 6

murmuro

• Address: Rua da Saudade 59 sala 26, 4050-570 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2021
• Year building was built: 1990
• Previous use of building: offices
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: 50 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 5

MAG – Marques de Aguiar Arquitectura e Urbanismo

• Address: Rua Raúl Brandão n.81, Porto, Portugal
• Year you moved in: 2018
• Year building was built: 1890
• Previous use of building: Housing
• Architect who designed it: Manuel Marques de Aguiar and Marta Marques de Aguiar
• Square metres: 90 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 5

Colectivo MEL

• Address: Rua Dr Alves da Veiga, 190
• Year you moved in: 2014
• Year building was built: around 1890
• Previous use of building: Private House
• Architect who designed it: anonymous
• Square metres: 400 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 3

ATA Atelier

• Address: Rua de Santa Catarina 923
• Year you moved in: 2023
• Year building was built: Unknown
• Previous use of building: Some kind of Store
• Architect who designed it: Depa Architects
• Square metres: 60 m2
• Number of people working in studio: 4

Joaquim Portela Arquitetos

• Address: Rua São Bartolomeu 37, 4150-671 Porto
• Year you moved in: 2019
• Year building was built: 2016
• Previous use of building: We were the first to occupy the space on the ground floor of the building.
• Architect who designed it: The building was designed by architect Eduardo Souto Moura. Our interior space was designed by us.
• Square metres: 247m2
• Number of people working in studio: 8