Architect from Porto is shortlisted among the 40 Under 40 European Best

Maria João Andrade designed a House in the Douro Valley and a haemodialysis unit, projects that elevated her to the winners’ list of the40 Under 40 European Best, in the scope of the European Architecture and Design Awards 2020. She is also the only national architect to be shortlisted.

The first project, a House in the Douro Valley, in Marco de Canaveses, led the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and urban Studies to be conquered by the the architect’s desire to “interfere the least possible in the landscape’s visual topography”, and to “apply solutions that assign priority to façade and the roofing within the enveloping area”, as well as “lower energy consumption, spacial simplicity and flexibility of operations”.

The second project, the Centro Nordeal, in Mirandela, features as “the most advanced haemodialysis clinic of its type in Portugal”. The architect created a building that “captures the essence of a place and the harmony between nature and people”.

To Maria João Andrade, founder of the MJARC Arquitetos studio, this award is the recognition of her work”. In an interview to idealista/news, the architect enhanced that “the concern with the integration of the landscape, the relationship between the inside and the outside, provides users not only the connection with the enveloping area but also with the use of renewable energies”.

Besides being an incentive to the younger architects, Maria João Andrade believes that this award is also important to affirm the place of women in architecture; “we have good women architects and we have the opportunity to showcase our work in an area where awarded male architects are the majority”.

Every year, the Europe 40 Under 40 award recognises the best emerging young architects and designers in Europe.