ombrelle
Services
05 disciplines

Five ways, one studio.

Most projects use several of these at once. All of them are led by a partner and delivered by the same small team, from the first visit to the last handle.
Curved concrete corridor under a skylight
Museu da Luz, the curved corridorÉvora
01

Architecture

Houses, museums and public rooms.

Cubic villa lit at dusk above a reflecting pool
New buildings and careful additions, from a single room to a public library.

We take projects from the first site visit through planning, technical design and construction. Most of our buildings are homes and small cultural spaces, where proportion, daylight and material carry the design. We work closely with engineers from the start, so the structure is part of the idea, not a correction to it.

Deliverables

  1. 1Site and light studies
  2. 2Concept design and models
  3. 3Planning application drawings
  4. 4Technical design and specifications
  5. 5Tender package and contractor selection
  6. 6Site supervision to handover
Typical timeline
14–30 months
Fee basis
9–13% of construction cost
02

Interiors

Rooms finished to the last handle.

White living room with a lacquer table
Complete interiors for homes, hotels and studios, within our buildings or someone else's.

Our interiors studio shapes how a space feels to the hand: plaster, timber, textiles, lighting and joinery. We prepare a full material palette early, test it in samples at full scale, and stay through installation so nothing is substituted on the way.

Deliverables

  1. 1Material and colour palette
  2. 2Joinery and built-in furniture design
  3. 3Lighting design with our consultants
  4. 4Furniture, art and textile sourcing
  5. 5Procurement and installation
Typical timeline
6–14 months
Fee basis
Fixed fee, plus 12% on procurement
03

Landscape

Gardens, courtyards and edges.

Brick house above a planted gravel garden
Planting and ground design that lets buildings settle into their site.

Led by Noor Haddad, our landscape work ranges from enclosed courtyards to coastal boardwalks. We plant for the climate as it will be, favour native and dry-tolerant species, and design paving, walls and water as one continuous ground.

Deliverables

  1. 1Site survey and soil assessment
  2. 2Landscape masterplan
  3. 3Planting plans and schedules
  4. 4Hard landscape details
  5. 5Seasonal maintenance guide
Typical timeline
4–12 months
Fee basis
Fixed fee by phase
04

Feasibility & planning

Knowing before you buy.

Glazed gable framed in white render and timber
Short, focused studies that tell you what a site or building can become.

Before a purchase or a brief, we test what is possible: planning constraints, heritage status, massing, rough costs and programme. You receive a clear report with options and our honest recommendation, including when we think a project should not go ahead.

Deliverables

  1. 1Planning and heritage review
  2. 2Three massing options
  3. 3Area schedule and rough cost plan
  4. 4Programme and risk register
  5. 5Written recommendation
Typical timeline
3–6 weeks
Fee basis
Fixed fee from €6,500
05

Furniture & objects

Made in small numbers.

White reading corner with a wire chair
Tables, seating, lights and door furniture, designed in the studio and made by local workshops.

Many of our projects end with a piece of furniture that did not exist before. We design these with three workshops in the Alentejo and Porto, in oak, cork, brass and stone. Some pieces are one-offs; others are made to order in small editions.

Deliverables

  1. 1Design drawings and prototypes
  2. 2Workshop selection and liaison
  3. 3Finish samples
  4. 4Delivery and installation
  5. 5Care instructions
Typical timeline
8–20 weeks
Fee basis
Design fee plus making cost
Engagement

How we work with you.

Every appointment is written down in plain language before any work begins.

  1. A

    Full service

    One team from the first sketch to the keys, across architecture, interiors and landscape.

    • A single partner as your contact
    • One fee agreement, staged by phase
    • Best for new homes and complete renovations
  2. B

    Staged

    We agree the first phases only, then decide together whether to continue.

    • Commit to concept and planning first
    • Clear break points with no penalty
    • Best when budget or site is still uncertain
  3. C

    Advisory

    A few days of our time, booked in blocks, for reviews, second opinions or design guidance.

    • Day rate of €950 per partner
    • Written notes after each session
    • Best for clients working with another architect
Questions

Often asked.

Read about our process
Do you work outside Portugal?

Occasionally, in Spain and the south of France, where we can be on site at least twice a month. For anything further, we partner with a local architect of record.

What is the smallest project you take on?

We rarely take on projects with a construction budget under €250,000, though feasibility studies and furniture commissions have no minimum.

How are fees paid?

Monthly, against the phase in progress. Each phase has a fixed share of the total, agreed in our appointment letter before any work begins.

Can you recommend contractors?

Yes. We keep a short list of builders and workshops we have worked with more than once, and we run a competitive tender among them for every project.

How soon could you start?

Our calendar is usually set about four months ahead. Feasibility studies can often begin within three weeks.

Begin

Tell us about your site.

A few lines and a location are enough. We reply to every enquiry within five working days.

Start an enquiry
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