Architecture plays a crucial social and cultural role in the way public realm is inhabited. The projects investigate the art and possibility of inhabiting latent in-between spaces, to explore and enjoy the subtle thresholds between public and private as a continuum. Each project investigates its own themes through a reinterpretation of the programme and the site both as a physical and cultural landscape.

Cristina Veríssimo’s research addresses the awareness of the potentialities of cork as a sustainable material and seeks possible new uses of cork materials in architecture. The use of cork is one of the most promising trends in sustainable development due to its unique natural properties, exceptionally good environmental qualities and high potential of incorporating innovative technology in architecture.

Cristina Veríssimo graduated in architecture from the Faculdade de Arquitectura at University of Lisbon (FAUL) and holds a MArch II Degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design. She has taught architecture for over a decade and been invited as a jury member and to lecture at schools in Hong Kong, Europe, Argentina, Chile, USA and Canada. She also has an active professional practice, CVDB Arquitectos, with her partner Diogo Burnay. CVDB Arquitectos has received international awards, such as WAN Award 2013 for education, Archdaily 2014 BOTY for education building of the year,  and AR Highly Commended Award in 2015. Veríssimo develops international workshops and exhibitions on the topic cork and new uses in architecture since 2014. The work  involves researchers, universities and industry. Her ongoing research for her PhD seeks to advance further uses of cork in architecture. Since 2013 she has been teaching as an Assistant Professor of Practice at the School of Architecture at Dalhousie University, Canada.

This lecture is part of the series, Master lectures 2019-20: Portuguese Contemporary architecture. The series is a collaboration between Städelschule, Deutsches Architekturmuseum and Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.