|ma| is a design organisation with minimalistic approach
to the creation and development of the human made world.


the minimalistic approach evolved to become
succinct principles towards human intervention. 
the principles form a manifesto,

a fundamental foundation for |ma|. 
creation and development are the purposes of the organisation.

the subjects vary, but the focus remains:
to pursue simple solutions with innovative design.
considering the human made world,
|ma| adopts cumulative and iterative methods.
the methodology combines research, design and art
to assure timeless products. 


|ma| specialises in urban design. get in touch.


|ma| makes
towns;

neighbourhoods
places;
buildings;
furnishings;
garments;
and other objects.



manifesto of minimalistic approach

to the creation and development of the 

human made world


MAKE IT HONEST.
free your mind from deceit; be truthful and virtuous.
base your approach on values and beliefs.
do not compromise, therefore never respond to concessions.
MAKE IT HOLISTIC.

interconnect intimately the parts with the whole;

regard the whole as greater than the sum of its parts.

prepare reflective analyses of the subject matter

and of its associated subjects.

maintain a balanced comprehensive perspective.

MAKE IT WORTHY.

select thoughts with qualities that deserve

effort, attention and ultimately action.

attempt any work only if necessary.

take action only if it is an improvement

and it causes no obstructions for future actions.

MAKE IT SIMPLE.

choose a process of creation easy to understand and to do—

and create unpretentiously.

do merely the necessary measures.

acknowledge nature

and give preference to natural options.

MAKE IT LASTING.

develop solutions able to endure over a long period of time.

assign sustainability as the minimum standard.

provide with resilient and durable creations.

MAKE IT TIMELESS.

offer results that are not affected by trends

nor by the passage of time.

attach reliability and universality to the outcome,

concluding it as a starting point.

give rise to versatile and adaptable products.

NATURE IN PLACE


Jinkou new town sits between
Chang Jiang River, Jin Shui River;
Ping Lang Lake; 
Shang Hai Tong Yong Avenue;
and Yang Zi, She, Guan Cai Mountains. 


2017 China Jinkou - Nature in Place: city expansion


the year is 2050.
the construction development on these grounds is
the result of a collision between Nature and Humankind.
notwithstanding,

it is an understanding of the nature-of-place with

interventions that respect and improve the natural environment. 


the natural environment is an integral part of the town’s structure.
the natural resources underwent a significant improvement
and they support the whole development.
the open-spaces

between the construction and non-construction areas
are interconnected, giving form to
plazas, parks, woodlands and marshlands.


underground construction was carefully studied
and it is limited to the minimum,
specially in the southern area (south of Ru Nan Road).
piping construction was significantly diminished
and its maintenance is strongly reduced by means of
natural systems of waste and water recycling. 


waterfronts are of public domain.
cultural functions are situated in these grounds,
in order to promote public activities.
nevertheless, private grounds
(such as residential and commercial)
occupy the waterfronts, but
the waterfronts open-space areas are for public use exclusively. 


Ping Lang Lake-front has the lowest density in the whole town.
with the minor exception of cultural buildings,
the lake front presents 50% of villas and 40% of row-houses.
these construction typologies facilitate parking in the ground-floor,
excluding any need of underground parking.
between Xin Nan Huan Road and the Ping Lang Lake-front,
the buildings heights are gradual from 50 to 10 metres, respectively.

HILLS GROVE


in order to reach an understanding of 

architectural language of Chengdu city, 

the nature of place must be grasped: 
which natural elements affect the residents; 
what habits the residents present; and 

how those habits are manifested in the architecture 

(space and materialisation). 


2019-2020 China Chengdu - Hills Grove: international community


habits can not be determined without an anthropological study, 

however they can be speculated through architectural features. 

the frequent presence of 

arcades and balconies (with roof) in ancient buildings, 

indicates a need for shelter from weather conditions, 
as well as, an evidence of outdoor-living custom. 
the Chengdu climate is favourable for such lifestyle. 


the safeguarding architectonic elements 
are equally present in the contemporary architecture 

of Sichuan and Chengdu in particular. 
this demonstrates that these elements 
are not the result of construction technics, 
but of cultural manifestation. 


2019-2020 China Chengdu - Hills Grove: international community


fortunately or unfortunately, 
stone has been vastly replaced by the modern stone, concrete; 

clay bricks are now concrete bricks, mostly; and 
wood isn’t so frequent as structural material. 
notwithstanding, the chromatic language remains. 


exhibited in ancient towns, 
but not in the contemporary architecture, 
the public and monumental buildings are striking by colour. 


a daring— yet rational— answer to this research topic could be

based on the diatonic constant of the architecture of Chengdu. 

the architectonic principles would be: 
standardisation of the harmony of grey; 
landmarks with vibrant colours. 


the diatonic language does not discriminate architectonic solutions.

the red land and the green vegetation project harmoniously 
from the grey construction. 


2019-2020 China Chengdu - Hills Grove: international community
2019-2020 China Chengdu - Hills Grove: international community


Chengdu has access to a wide variety of grey materials, 
exempli gratia, stone, concrete, clay, metal. 
moreover, the industry in the region and the architects are actively

introducing construction materials that fulfil the chromatic theme. 


timber structures do pair up beautifully with the grey,
especially bamboo wood— plentiful in Sichuan. 
other wood and red stone are suitable for landmark buildings. 

CITY & PARK


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


Luogang project site covers fifteen square-kilometres, between
Hefei Expressway, Jinxiu Avenue, Huizhou Avenue, Baohe Avenue.

in this large area of airport grounds,
in Hefei city (the capital of Anhui province),
the urban design proposal is founded on the balance of
city and nature in a fifty-fifty intrinsic relationship.
half of the area is reserved for Hefei's Central-Park,
one of the largest in the world. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


the secret of the proposal's design and— at the same time—
the foundation for the design itself is
the four-dimensionality of the public-space.
proportionality, profundity and diversity are qualities
of the scheme's sequential spaces, abounding in rich components:
active and inert spaces;
shadowy and bright rooms;
macro and micro structures;
open and closed areas;
long and short paths;
urban and natural arrangements.
moreover,
the numerous motion choices,
together with circular directions,
ensure contentment amongst visitors and citizens of Hefei. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


an exemplar of four-dimensionality is the Grand Mall of Hefei,
a sequence of spaces springing from
the Hefei South Station to the Grand Wheel of Hefei. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


either on the ground or on the Cloud-Bridge (20m above ground),
one can walk and enjoy the connection between
the South Station and the Centre-Hub
and through the station's south square—
redefined with two rooms of twenty-six-thousand square-metres. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


the Centre-Hub displays multiple entrances
at multiple sides and levels, comprising
office, residential and commercial structures;
the new regional station, with the hall twenty metres above ground;
a Metro station, ten metres below the ground;
national/regional bus station and local bus stations, at ground-level;
and a beautiful garden of hundred-thousand square-metres,
elevated twenty five metres,
bridging the South Square and the Innovation Square. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


the Cloud-Garden relates specially with the new regional station
and it is formulated by mountains of tower-buildings,
streams of plazas and thousands of plants.
all elements are deliberately shaped and positioned,
in order to guide one through the Centre-Hub complex. 


2018-2019 China Hefei - City & Park: central park district, renewal of airport grounds


the new regional station connects directly with the tram station
in the magnificent Innovation Square,
square shaped with eighty-six square-metres.
strategically positioned at the intersection of the three axes,
this square acts functionally and symbolically as
the great hall of the Centre-Hub (north/west);
the salon of business, where the Innovation Blvd originate (south); 
the lobby of the Innovation Community (east); and 

the threshold of the Wood-Runway (southeast). 

THE CORNER OF 
THE RUA DA PONTE VELHA & 

THE RUA DAS TÍLIAS 


the challenge is tackled with 
the simple understanding that 
the property— in the current condition— 
is a hole that needs to be filled up. 


the proposal clearly establish an urban front, 
contributing to the street system that better portrays 
the paths, alleys and lanes of this hilly place. 


2019-2020 Portugal Santo-Tirso - the Corner of the Rua da Ponte Velha & the Rua das Tílias: villa


this structure accepts and 
responds to the presence of motor vehicles. 
additionally, the proposal is developed with the credence that 
public transport is a basic necessity to the neighbourhood— 
a need that will be answered eventually. 
moreover, 
it sets an extraordinary attention on the pedestrian 
and the multiple ways a person 
arrives and departs from the villa 
to different locations in the city. 


notwithstanding the predetermined land-use, 
the spaces are devised to accommodate other functions too. 
this design practice responds to the doubt 
of the future needs and decisions: 
an exemplary perspective into time, 
ten, fifty, hundred years ahead. 


a long lasting construction lays on 
the importance given to sustainability. 
thus, this scheme takes into account 
the supremacy of nature. 


the villa's structure is organised
in proportion with the context, 
building a balanced whole. 


2019-2020 Portugal Santo-Tirso - the Corner of the Rua da Ponte Velha & the Rua das Tílias: villa


in particular, the Rua da Ponte Velha street 
benefits from the withdrawal of the five-metres-setback: 

the generic directive 
that would generate a ditch 
between the street and a building. 
the proposal advocates an urban facade instead— 
more adequate to this street. 


conversely, 
the reasonable answer for the Rua das Tílias street 
is to place the pavement within the property's perimeter, 
guaranteeing room for flexible solutions for the street. 


at the beak of the triangular plot, 
the constructional mass is paramount 
in the definition of the space it faces: 
the persistently acclaimed square, 
Largo das Flores. 

get in touch:

 
 
 
 

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