I am a Portuguese architect with a background in Interior design both in Portugal and London.
For those of you who want to follow this direction or want to learn skills to use and incorporate in your architecture future, the US is differently the most different and complete experience in the field I ever had.
Let me be more clear!
As an architect, we are used to drawing furniture as a part of the concept. That makes sense and gives a purpose to the building. Most of the time, they help hide some angle we don’t have time to properly solve it. Although, none of this is wrong!
Nonetheless, our designs tend to feel harsh or very uncomfortable. In Portugal, architects have afraid of playing with colors. Our architecture is very clean. Where the white color and the wood are the strongest suits of a house. I don’t think this just happens back at home. Even how everything is processed gives interior design such little recognition.
So far, my experience
Here everything is so rich. From fabrics to tiles to wallcoverings.
That doesn’t mean a room or house would be like a children’s playground, full of color everywhere! The colors can be used to enhance the wood and the minimal feeling or concept of a project.
Every texture is important. Not only fabrics but tiles and wood! The importance that wood is seen, from texture to the grain, color, and sheen intensity…
To be honest, I have never been part of any office where they dive so much into detail, and here the work produced is respected.
Everything that we have done is so organized and explained so well, another key point to be interpreted in construction.
In summary, this experience is being so important for me even the way that will shape my process while architect.
