The studio
Fourteen people, one long table, and a lot of section drawings.
Atlas was founded in Porto in 2011 on a simple bias: that a building should answer to its ground before it answers to a style.
We work at the scale of the house and the scale of the district, and we draw both ourselves — no project leaves the studio detailed by anyone other than the people who designed it.
We keep the practice deliberately small so that everyone stays close to the drawing board, and we keep the material palette short so that what we do build, we build well.
How we work
Site first
The section starts with the ground, the light, and the horizon, not a style we brought with us.
Few materials, used well
A short palette, detailed honestly, ages better than a long one hiding behind finishes.
Build to last
We design for a hundred years of use and a graceful, repairable middle age.
Draw everything
Every junction is drawn by the people who designed the building. Nothing is left to chance on site.