Final thesis of the Architecture course at Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto.
Final thesis of the Architecture course at Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto.
Presentation in the Digital Darq event. Showcase of personal research on cork stereotomies.
This arch was built in the DFL to showcase the possibilities of 3D printed customized joints. 144 joints were modelled automatically with a custom crafted algorithm and printed on site. The metal plates were laser cut. This work was developed together with Prof. Dr. José Pedro Sousa and João Carvalho. It is feature in this […]
Stone Translucent Verticalities is an architectural sculpture that highlights the potentialities of stone/marble digital design and fabrication combined with artificial lighting. The main theme of the design is the relationship between sculpted lithic materials and translucency: in fact, by reducing thethickness of the stone at certain points, light can pass through the matter and allows […]
A reusable mold methodology to the production of customized voussoirs using HoloLens Mass customizing of building components allows new conditions to explore aesthetic and sustainability in architecture. However, such possibilities tend to require the use of expensive and heavy digital fabrication machinery, which is mostly available in the most regions on the planet. In this […]
Recent developments in digital design and fabrication tools have led architects and researchers to renew the interest in stereotomy. This interest converges with a growing ecological and economical conscience that matches classic stereotomy raw material needs: compression resistance materials. However, material resources or prefabrication time are still major counterparts for the adoption of this construction […]
An experiment within the DFL. Project coordination: José Pedro Sousa Design team: Pedro de Azambuja Varela, Pedro Martins Photographs: Carlos de Albuquerque Castro
We live today in a world with extreme energetical and environmental challenges. Recognizing the irresponsible usage of reinforced concrete is one of the first steps to solving this problem, and tackling alternative solutions is the second. Here, we propose structural stone slabs. This functional model is a prototype for a (re)new(ed) kind of slab. Taking […]
Publication and communication of article “Genetic Algorithms in Architecture – History and Relevance”. Lecture in April 2013
Final thesis of the Architecture course at Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto.
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 […]
All content © Copyright 2026 by Pedro de Azambuja Varela.
Subscribe to RSS Feed