Surface Design Awards – Complete

• EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE YEAR - NEW
  This is a new category that recognises wall and surface design products including decorative, creative and inventive surfaces for the exterior of building including both commercial and residential properties.

This new build is located in a small commercial street in the center of Algés, just outside Lisbon towards Cascais. The design seeks to elevate the building, by creating a void on ground level, thus sustaining the building between the two neighboring buildings. This void creates a rich atmosphere for the pedestrian street and allows for parking for the residential flats. Each apartment has balconies on both facades. The balcony balustrades are unfolded into beautiful suspending benches coated in ceramic tiles designed by an award-winning ceramic artist Maria Ana Vasco Costa.

Total cost 22.500,00 €
Conclusion March 2023

When approached by Alfa Almeida Fernandes Arquitectura, Maria Ana Vasco Costa was researching stoneware for large-scale flat ceramic boards, something new in her production. Upon seeing the designs of the benches on the balcony, the idea came up of composing the boards to make the benches. The material used was a series of two-dimensional stoneware boards, 380x595mm. These boards not only compose the benches but also act as the building facade, with the back wall remaining white.

The most innovative moment is the scale of the ceramic plates and their dripping glaze. The color choice had to do with the context of the build and the color that was being researched previous to the start of the project. It has a special metallic effect, that came through after being implemented in the façade and changes hues during the day giving motion.

The stoneware boards were handmade and glazed by a local manufacturer in Portugal, respecting the country's traditional tile-making techniques. This batch production ensured quality control, waste reduction, and a good workplace environment, resulting in a product with a low carbon footprint. Additionally, stoneware is a sustainable material due to its raw nature and, when finished with glazing, it develops into a material that can withstand corrosion, being durable and requiring little to no long-term maintenance. The material’s fire resistance also ensures safety.

The main issue was the challenge of using a new material, that requires in-depth research and an understanding of the longevity of the proposed finishes.

The initial requirement from the architects was to design a building facade, which ended up resulting in a finish of the balustrades as opposed to the main wall. This required a leap of faith and great detail-oriented forms, to bring together traditional tile-making and furniture design.

In order to achieve the suspension effect of the benches on the tip of the balcony, A2P CONSULT - Estudos e Projectos, Lda developed a clever structural design in reinforced concrete, where the backs of the benches act as beams sustaining the benches in the air.

The fact that the large ceramic plates cover the entirety of the benches allows for different angles, light exposures, and reflections, giving life to this facade.