Silver Winner of the International Architecture & Design Awards 2026
Gloria farinha Housing
Single & Multi-family House Design
Concept / Professional Category
Architect / Designer:
Nuno Miguel da Nova Magalhães Nunes
Studio:
Abiga Unipessoal Lda – Atelier Big Arquitetos
Design Team:
The team at BIG Arquitetos is composed of six architects with diverse backgrounds and complementary skills, working collaboratively across all stages of the design process.
Each member contributes with a distinct perspective, combining expertise in conceptual design, technical development, and project execution. The studio values a collective approach, where ideas are shared, discussed, and refined to achieve coherent and well-resolved architectural solutions.
With a strong focus on context, materiality, and spatial quality, the team engages in a hands-on process that ensures attention to detail and consistency throughout the project. Collaboration and open dialogue are central to the studio’s workflow, fostering an environment of continuous learning and critical thinking.
Together, the six architects form a cohesive unit committed to delivering thoughtful, precise, and context-driven architecture.
Country:
Portugal
The project aims to create a multi-family residential structure that addresses the aesthetics and
limitations of a rigid urban plot while embracing a contemporary architectural language.
The structure aims to be both aesthetically pleasing and contextually integrated, overcoming the
perception of a boring typology.
The project emphasizes direction, spatial quality, and formal solutions that add value while
staying within urban rigidity. Not only fills a housing gap but also has a social responsibility to generate
urban communities by fostering an engaging environment for people to connect and thrive.
Abiga Unipessoal Lda - Atelier Big Arquitetos
At BIG Arquitetos, a Portugal-based architecture studio, design is understood as a thoughtful balance between context, function, and contemporary expression. The practice is grounded in a careful reading of place, seeking to create projects that respond sensitively to their surroundings while maintaining a clear and coherent architectural identity.
This studio brief proposes the development of a project that reflects BIG Arquitetos’ approach to design: precise, contextual, and conceptually rigorous. Emphasis is placed on spatial clarity, materiality, and the relationship between built form and landscape, aiming to produce architecture that is both functional and meaningful.
The design process prioritizes simplicity and intention, where each decision contributes to the overall coherence of the project. Rather than pursuing formal excess, the proposal focuses on restraint, proportion, and the intelligent use of resources.
Ultimately, the project aspires to embody an architecture