This work was the result of my studies at CEAAD – Curso de Estudos Avançados em Arquitectura Digital – organized by ISCTE-IUL and FAUP, and hosted in ISCTE-IUL and VFABLAB in Lisbon in 2013-2013. When approached with a raw material such as expanded cork agglomerate, materiality is a concept that is present from the very […]
Between the geological earth and the rubble turned ground, architecture happens. It is in the cycles that happen between those two moments that the Flying Earth proposal is developed. Addressing the Trienalle challenges, it explores how the Earth’s most sourceable matter may provide the human being with an infinitely available and carbon-free material, contributing to […]
I was asked to teach the fundamentals of Grasshopper, so I developed an 8 hour crash course in which I taught the fundamentals of parametric design along with the Grasshopper flow paradigm. The themes rangd from the basic variable radius with slider to an example of genetic algorithmic optimization with Galapagos. Lectured in February 2013
This paper describes the theory and practical experiments on the development of a system for the deployment of stereotomic voussoirs. The recent availability of digital design and fabrication tools has enabled architects to embrace stereotomic thinking, allowing for the efficient spanning of spaces with low tensile capable materials such as stone. The proposed fabrication system […]
A renewed interest in stereotomy, narrowly entwined with digital technologies, has allowed for the recovery and proposal of new techniques and expressions in this building approach. A new classification scheme for stereotomy research allows for the framing of various aspects related to this discipline, including a newly developed fabrication system specially tailored for the wedge-shaped […]
Architecture project by Pedro de Azambuja Varela, Maria João de Oliveira and Emmanuel Novo. Following the 2012/13 edition of the Advanced Program in Digital Architecture (CEAAD), promoted by FAUP and ISCTE-IUL, the company AMORIM Isolamentos challenged the Course to design their Pavilion for the CONCRETA 2013 Fair. The students that developed their final research on cork […]
In June 2020 I defended my PhD thesis entitled “Reconstruction of a Stereotomy – for a multi-semantic stereotomic approach”. The PDF document has Open Access and can be download in Universidade do Porto website here. https://sigarra.up.pt/faup/pt/NOTICIAS_GERAL.VER_NOTICIA?p_nr=69842 Abstract: Stereotomy is the classic body of knowledge which deals with stonecutting for building arch like structures. The interest […]
This paper focuses on the development of a BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool for stereotomic design, aiming to create a bridge between academic research and practical implementation of stereotomy in the construction sector. The creation of a stereotomic BIM tool enhances the use of compressive materials within funicular shapes to minimize reliance on carbon-intensive steel-reinforced […]
At the request of Prof. Alexandra Paio, two lectures were given to the students of the 3rd grade of Architecture. The purpose was to accomplish an exercise on Shape Grammars, yelding very interesting results. These lectures were carried out in May 2013
This is the video stream of short talk I gave in Vienna. The talk was about an experience developed at the DFL with José Pedro Sousa, about the possible digital flow in architecture projects that deal with stone heritage. Original video stream here: https://mh-engage.ltcc.tuwien.ac.at/engage/ui/watch.html?id=b1661030-702d-11e5-a8be-2fc2b39fc1bd
All content © Copyright 2026 by Pedro de Azambuja Varela.
Subscribe to RSS Feed