It Would Be Amazing to Have a Mix of Two Passions - Filipao Nunes

Want to become a member of Eat My News? You can enrol for EMN membership now from here.


1. Tell us about your background and journey. 

I´m a Portuguese architect, who started studies at U.Porto - Faculty of Architecture and finished them at Valladolid School of architecture. 14 years later, I came to Monterrey, just to know the city, but I never imagine what would happen next…

I did my last project in Valladolid, Spain. There, I represented the city in an international award in Norway, which is called “Princesa Kristina de Noruega” this project consisted of a Chapel design in honor of Olav the Saint, there were 32 projects.

And the jury composed by renowned architects from Spain and Norway awarded an honourable mention to 7 projects and three accessits, this was a very important platform to start working with Manuel Sanchez Vera (…) and Lucio Morini; where the activities were focused on award projects.

Some of this projects where “Estratos historicos”, which was the design of an elevated building, with four levels connected by a ramp, in which you can find a museum, a market, a sports center, and a plaza; another project was “Viviendas Jovenes San Bernardo” this project consist in the design of a residential building. 

After two years of living in Madrid, I had this arising desire to know more about Mexico. Since I had Mexican friends, I decided to go, and live a semester as an exchange student, once being in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a place in the northeast of Mexico, I had the opportunity to work with Agustin Landa Vertiz, for a year and a half.

One of my projects back there is Hotel Habitat; in this project, I worked with Yousef Dirab. Time after this, I wanted to start my own business, to start I partner with Osiel Contreras for 8 years. 

From there on, I started focusing on my own thing, by that I mean working in a market niche that I considered, it has something unique and different from the rest, this market being nightclubs, bars, restaurants, discontents, and hospitality in general.


2. When and why did you choose this field? 

I have always liked the plastic arts, overall sculpture. 

With the interior architecture, I had the opportunity to practice the mix of materials, volumes, illumination; I consider my projects as a sculpture that I can solve from the inside out. 


3. Do you have a dream project or your favorite project? 

My dream project I must tell, designing a Yacht interior, as I’m Portuguese; I have a really near relationship with the sea, so it would be amazing to have a mix of two passions: design and the sea. 


4. How can one identify and appreciate good architecture? 

This is more of a taste to everyone, as we all think differently, but for me as long as it has a proper mix of scale, textures, and proper lightening, those must be the characteristics of good architecture. 


5. Who is your favorite architect and why? 

Alvaro Siza and his excited and poetic work, have been an inspiration for me since I was a student until now. Shape, scale, function, as respect to the geometry; those are my principles in my designs. 


6. Do you have any tips for people who want to join this field? 

Be patient, be creative, be authentic. Be insatiable of good architecture. 


7. What does your typical workday look like? 

Most of my days are really variant, sometimes I have to visit clients to review the projects with them, view the details, fix the issues that are presenting all the way, other days I must be in the workshop, reviewing the projects with the design team.

Perfection in the details in all the construction plans, making acquisition decisions for the projects, and other times will be in my office, reviewing with the projects that are in construction to see how they are going.

Instagram ID - @filipaonunes


Filipao Nunes

Architect

Interviewed By - Sandeep Virothu