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News

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fala will envision the architectural programs of the the Museum of Contemporary Art and Architecture Centre of the Centro Cultural de Belém, for a period of four years, with filipe magalhães as the new Curator of Architecture.

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fala continues the design studio ‘good housing’ at epfl lausanne (ba6-ma2), searching for alternative forms of housing in conditions as close as possible to that of actual practice, and making virtue out their concrete limitations. in parallel, fala’s long term visiting studios continue at école d’architecture paris-est and at head geneva.

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after nearly a decade of formal and informal investigation, fala will publish a book on porto's 'ugly ducks'. sponsored by plaka and cmporto, the book will be published by exemplo, with graphic design by and atelier, and glorious photographs by giulietta margot.

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lectures:
25.09.30 tampere (zoom)
25.10.11 venice
25.10.17 porto
25.11.03 mendrisio
25.11.06 zurich
25.11.10 vilnius
25.11.18 ghent
25.11.28 aarhus
26.03.12 paris

About

fala is an architecture practice based in porto and lausanne.

Team

filipe magalhães

porto, pt, 1987; graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto with an exchange year in ljubljana; phd researcher at faup; collaborated with harry gugger in basel and sanaa in tokyo; guest professor in epfl lausanne; Curator of Architecture at MAC/CCB (2026-). partner at fala since 2013.

ana luisa soares

marco de canaveses, pt, 1988; graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto with an exchange year in the university of tokyo; phd researcher at faup; collaborated with harry gugger in basel and toyo ito in tokyo; guest professor in epfl lausanne and head geneva. partner at fala since 2013.

ahmed belkhodja

lausanne, ch, 1990; graduated in architecture at epfl lausanne and at eth zurich; phd in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto; collaborated with obra architects in new york, harry gugger in basel and atelier bow wow in tokyo; guest professor in epfl lausanne, head geneva and ensa paris-est. partner at fala since 2014.

lera samovich

novokuznetsk, ru, 1991; graduated in architecture at moscow school of architecture; phd in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto; collaborated with bureau alexander brodsky and asse architects in moscow; guest professor in epfl lausanne. architect at fala since 2014; partner since 2021.

ana lima

miramar, pt, 1987; graduated in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto with an exchange year in ljubljana; collaborated with mono, christian kerez and reto pedrocchi. architect at fala since 2013.

joão carlos lopes

leiria, pt, 1991; graduated in architecture at universidade de évora with an exchange year in dresden; collaborated with rui mendes, ricardo bak gordon and pedro matos gameiro. architect at fala since 2021.

ana catarina silva

porto, pt, 2000; master in architecture at faculdade de arquitectura do porto; collaborated with experimental in porto; author of the podcast 'arquitetura entre vistas' since 2020; researcher at fala since 2024.

elias schmitz

köln, de, 2002; bachelor in architecture at rwth aachen university with an exchange year in porto; collaborated with artworks and atelier local. intern at fala since 2025.

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catarina vilarinho, taewoo jin, mariana vieira da silva, hojoon jang, yujin lee, eduardo loureiro, madita müller, horace de pourtalès, celeste assal, joana sendas, angel palmerin, martina porcino, elisa acquistapace, andrea occelli, dolma garcia sherpa, francesca girardi, virginia ricceri, beatriz branco, anna murisasco, carina pannatier, sajoua ettahri, nina guyot, jana von wyl, kentaro hayashi, costanza favero, elisa sassi, paulo sousa, rute peixoto, rikke sandbugte, anyana zimmermann, clara pailler, camelia petre, christina kavoura, mariana silva, diogo paixão, ana sevo, chiara carraro, julia andreychenko, thea orderud, ricardo leitão, francisco rocha, jack huang, gabriela králova, francesca lantieri, and jacopo lugli

Publications

a+u #637
2G #80
av proyectos #098, #123
butterflies
fala 01
ceci n’est pas un portrait
1961 – 1992 Japan
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Bauwelt
Arquitecturaviva #256
L'Architecture d’Aujourd’hui
Butterflies
werk, bauen + wohnen
Daidalos
trans magazine
The Architect's Newspaper
The RIBA Journal
The Architectural Review
jornal dos arquitectos
metropolis
Rice Design Alliance
New York Magazine
an interior
dwell
domus
Igloo & Zeppelin
Drawing Matter
What Is A House For?
tracés

Exhibitions

ceci n’est pas un portrait, baião
hånd og maskin; the national museum, oslo
pictures; architekturgalerie, stuttgart
os novos novos; ccb, lisbon
em casa; ccb, lisbon
objects of fascination; mad, brussels
está nos desenhos; eaum, guimarães
in memoriam; yale university
architects at play; civa, brussels
alternative histories; the architecture foundation, london
what is ornament; lisbon architecture triennial
cats & columns; casa da cerca, almada
incerteza viva; portuguese pavilion, venice biennale
low-resolution houses; princeton school of architecture
room of plinths; chicago architecture biennial
spaces without drama; graham foundation, chicago
25 architects / 5 absent; pavillon de l’arsenal, paris
open house porto
open house lisbon
the state of the art of architecture; chicago architecture biennial
fala, 21 projects; cvernovka, bratislava
anticlimax; lisbon architecture triennial
p.o.p.; storefront gallery, new york

Lectures

good housing; kyoto
good housing; barcelona
houses, houses, houses, houses; buenos aires
good housing; epfl lausanne
as of today; eth zurich
archipelagos; benaki museum, athens
10 years; passos manuel, porto
La Villa Baizeau à Carthage; enau, tunis
houses are; arkitektforening, oslo
clocks and clouds; centennial hall, tokyo tech
six projects; tokyo university of arts
clocks and clouds; usi mendrisio
gloriously repeating; rice university, houston
constructing practice; gsapp, new york
polyphonic repertoire; bozar, brussels
methodic optimism; garage museum, moscow
cornice conversations; eth zurich
on transformations; s am, basel
fictions in vivo; eavt paris-est
portraits; graham foundation, chicago
europa; british pavilion, venice biennale
some houses; university of toronto
recent works; tu delft
tropes; architectural association, london
methodic optimism; barbican, london
borders; riba, london
current obsessions; bauhaus, weimar
circumstance; tu munich
persistency; casa dell’architettura, rome
task failed successfully; politecnico di milano
folly for an art piece; serralves foundation, porto
dots, lines & morphemes; faup, porto

Teaching

2025 — epfl lausanne
2021 — eavt paris-est
2019 — head geneva
2019/24 iscte lisbon
2020/21 university of toronto
2022/23 politecnico di milano
2023/25 università di genova
2019/20 royal academy of arts
2016/17 fa bratislava

— guest critics
usi mendrisio
eth zurich
epfl lausanne
gsapp new york
kth stockholm
cologne fa
northumbria fa
faup porto

— guest tutors
tu munich
iuav venice
porto academy
eavt paris-est
hda graz
fa muenster
fa liège

Honours

spotlight award 2020, rice university; winner (fala)
bigmat 2025; proximity award (082)
secil prize 2023; finalist (082)
prémio manuel graça dias; honourable mention (082)
prémio jovens arquitectos 2025; winner (082)
drawing matter writing prize 2021; winner (ahmed belkhodja)
mies van der rohe award 2022; nominated project (075)
mies van der rohe award 2019; nominated project (048)
prémios forma 2025; finalist (156)
debut award 2013, lisbon triennale; finalist (fala)
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public competition, lisbon (pt); 1st prize (184)
public competition, almada (pt); 1st prize (173)
public competition, setubal (pt); 1st prize (172)
public competition, malmö (se); 2nd prize (211)
public competition, tinne (it); 2nd prize (170)
public competition, kortrijk (be); 2nd prize (111)
public competition, almada (pt); 3rd prize (209)
invited competition, tirana (alb); 3rd prize (188)
mapublic competition, tienen (be); 3rd prize (158)
public competition, la sallaz (ch); 4th prize (204)
public competition, broc (ch); finalist (193)

Writings

a poem

a floating feather in the city

the world as form

on joy in architecture

in the manner of fala

art of love

can incomprehensibility be structured?

an architecture that was not asked for

Stating the evident

wild juxtapositions by way of a confusing vocabulary

the disorienting column

a song of ice and fire

itsuko hasegawa, capturing an infinite distance

seriously playful

gloriously repeating

do not copy

post-possible architecture

the pictures generation

on the multivalence of drawing

topology and tracing paper

credits

Index

219 , 218 , 217 , 216 , 215 , 214 , 213 , 212 , 211 , 210 , 209 , 208 , 207 , 206 , 205 , 204 , 203 , 202 , 201 , 200 , 199 , 198 , 197 , 196 , 195 , 194 , 193 , 192 , 191 , 190 , 189 , 188 , 187 , 186 , 185 , 184 , 183 , 182 , 181 , 180 , 179 , 178 , 177 , 176 , 175 , 174 , 173 , 172 , 171 , 170 , 169 , 168 , 167 , 166 , 165 , 164 , 163 , 162 , 161 , 160 , 159 , 158 , 157 , 156 , 155 , 154 , 153 , 152 , 151 , 150 , 149 , 148 , 147 , 146 , 145 , 144 , 143 , 142 , 141 , 140 , 139 , 138 , 137 , 136 , 135 , 134 , 133 , 132 , 131 , 130 , 129 , 128 , 127 , 126 , 125 , 124 , 123 , 122 , 121 , 120 , 119 , 118 , 117 , 116 , 115 , 114 , 113 , 112 , 111 , 110 , 109 , 108 , 107 , 106 , 105 , 104 , 103 , 102 , 101 , 100 , 099 , 098 , 097 , 096 , 095 , 094 , 093 , 092 , 091 , 090 , 089 , 088 , 087 , 086 , 085 , 084 , 083 , 082 , 081 , 080 , 079 , 078 , 077 , 076 , 075 , 074 , 073 , 072 , 071 , 070 , 069 , 068 , 067 , 066 , 065 , 064 , 063 , 062 , 061 , 060 , 059 , 058 , 057 , 056 , 055 , 054 , 053 , 052 , 051 , 050 , 049 , 048 , 047 , 046 , 045 , 044 , 043 , 042 , 041 , 040 , 039 , 038 , 037 , 036 , 035 , 034 , 033 , 032 , 031 , 030 , 029 , 028 , 027 , 026 , 025 , 024 , 023 , 022 , 021 , 020 , 019 , 018 , 017 , 016 , 015 , 014 , 013 , 012 , 011 , 010 , 009 , 008 , 007 , 006 , 005 , 004 , 003 , 002 , 001 , all

clients

ihru ( 173 , 172 ) ;

sru lisboa ( 184 ) ;

maat museum ( 185 , 113 ) ;

serralves museum ( 068 ) ;

horst music festival ( 107 ) ;

lisbon triennale ( 004 ) ;

marco martins ( 189 ) ;

circo de ideias ( 201 ) ;

galeria municipal do porto ( 119 ) ;

teatro rivoli ( 074 ) ;

frontal ( 042 ) ;

migrant garden ( 033 ) ;

aefaup ( 009 ) ;

private ( 215 , 194 , 182 , 180 , 179 , 171 , 167 , 156 , 150 , 144 , 143 , 136 , 129 , 125 , 123 , 118 , 114 , 102 , 101 , 098 , 097 , 094 , 090 , 088 , 087 , 086 , 085 , 082 , 081 , 079 , 077 , 075 , 072 , 070 , 069 , 067 , 059 , 058 , 057 , 056 , 052 , 051 , 050 , 048 , 043 , 040 , 031 , 030 , 025 , 023 )

Collaborations

pomo ( 203 , 184 , 180 , 179 , 178 , 173 , 172 , 171 , 167 , 156 , 150 , 114 , 102 , 097 , 094 , 090 , 088 , 087 , 085 , 082 , 079 , 075 , 072 , 067 , 059 , 058 , 057 , 052 , 048 ) ;

paulo sousa ( 118 , 102 , 101 , 098 , 097 , 094 , 090 , 088 , 087 , 086 , 085 , 082 , 081 , 079 , 077 , 075 , 072 , 070 , 069 , 068 , 067 , 059 , 058 , 057 , 056 , 052 , 051 , 050 , 048 , 043 , 042 , 040 , 033 , 031 , 030 , 023 ) ;

márcio pimenta ( 200 , 197 , 186 , 184 , 182 , 180 , 179 , 173 , 172 , 167 , 156 , 150 , 144 , 143 , 129 , 125 , 118 , 102 , 101 , 097 , 094 , 088 , 087 , 085 , 082 , 069 ) ;

sicóproject ( 219 , 216 , 184 , 178 , 166 , 165 ) ;

and atelier ( 184 , 173 ) ;

experimental ( 184 , 173 , 172 ) ;

ziemia ( 172 ) ;

util struktuurstudies + onkruid ( 107 ) ;

oh land ( 051 , 050 ) ;

bimtec ( 056 ) ;

sandra shizuka ( 004 ) ;

Construction

civiflanco ( 215 , 179 , 150 , 144 , 136 , 098 , 097 , 090 , 088 , 082 , 075 , 069 , 057 ) ;

calipa ( 182 , 143 , 125 , 102 , 101 , 085 ) ;

maxrenova ( 203 , 194 , 171 , 114 , 070 , 058 ) ;

novos construtores ( 156 ) ;

ferreira leite ( 180 , 167 , 166 ) ;

tecnorém ( 172 ) ;

engilaco ( 086 , 067 , 059 , 048 ) ;

ruce ( 081 , 052 , 030 ) ;

ogc ( 094 , 087 ) ;

mribeiro ( 118 ) ;

manuel maia ( 042 , 031 ) ;

artworks ( 201 , 189 ) ;

jst ( 079 , 068 , 051 , 050 ) ;

rbt ( 077 ) ;

asv ( 072 , 023 ) ;

joph ( 072 ) ;

tijolo cruzado ( 056 , 043 , 040 ) ;

civilcasa ( 056 ) ;

dejc ( 025 )

Photography

giulietta margot ( ugly ducks , 203 , 200 , 194 , 185 , 182 , 180 , 179 , 171 , 156 , 150 , 144 , 143 , 136 , 129 , 125 , 123 , 118 , 114 , 102 , 101 , 098 , 097 , 094 , 088 , 087 , 085 , 082 , 081 , 079 , 077 , 075 , 072 , 069 , 067 , 057 , 056 , 052 , 051 , 050 , 048 , 033 , 030 , 023 ) ;

francisco ascensão ( ceci n’est pas un portrait , 203 , 201 , 194 , 189 , 185 , 171 , 156 , 150 , 144 , 143 , 125 , 118 , 114 , 102 , 101 , 097 , 094 , 087 , 085 , 082 , 067 , 056 ) ;

rory gardiner ( 102 , 097 , 082 , 075 , 067 , 048 ) ;

maxime delvaux ( 107 ) ;

frederico martinho ( 079 ) ;

willem pab ( 098 , 085 ) ;

paulo catrica ( 079 , 068 ) ;

laurian ghinitoiu ( 090 , 088 , 079 , 075 , 067 ) ;

federico farinatti ( 114 , 085 ) ;

flávio pires ( 156 , 150 , 125 , 097 , 079 , 056 , 042 , 033 , 031 , 025 ) ;

lera samovich ( lera's cut outs , 203 , 201 , 194 , 184 , 182 , 179 , 173 , 171 , 156 , 150 , 144 , 143 , 125 , 123 , 102 , 097 , 094 , 087 , 085 , 082 , 067 , 048 ) ;

jack huang ( 098 , 088 , 079 , 067 ) ;

celeste assal ( 150 , 067 ) ;

francesca girardi ( 075 , 067 ) ;

estelle valente ( 189 ) ;

elias schmitz ( 203 , 171 , 167 , 150 , 143 , 118 , 114 , 102 , 098 , 085 , 067 ) ;

matilde viegas ( 082 ) ;

inês d’orey ( 056 ) ;

horst festival ( 107 ) ;

ivo tavares ( 136 , 125 , 118 , 114 , 102 , 101 , 097 , 094 , 087 , 082 , 079 , 077 , 056 , 051 , 050 , 023 ) ;

ricardo loureiro ( 090 , 088 , 086 , 081 , 075 , 074 , 072 , 070 , 068 , 067 , 059 , 058 , 057 , 056 , 052 , 051 , 048 , 030 , 023 ) ;

fernando guerra ( 043 , 040 , 025 , 004 ) ;

francisco nogueira ( 113 , 087 ) ;

antónio lopes ( 009 ) ;

bruno lança ( 201 ) ;

daniel malhão ( 113 ) ;

luís albuquerque ( 090 , 085 , 082 , 079 , 075 , 067 , 048 )

Applications

fala is currently not hiring. spontaneous applications should be sent by email to mail@falaatelier.com with a digital portfolio in pdf format.

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