Aethos Ericeira - New Hotel Project

September 9th, 2022

With a unique location on the edge of a cliff and within a protected area, the challenge of this design was to bring new life to an existing building that had undergone several changes and extensions over many decades.

The important architectural question at the beginning of the design process was how to restore this building, filtering out what remains as crucial to its identity and what needs to be removed. The end result was to be a contemporary building by today's standards, but at the same time keeping its legacy alive.

We did this by re-organising the facades and creating a hierarchy, where some features prevailed over others. The original sections of the building, which had lost their sense of “mass” were restored by emphasising the main shapes, roofs, and arches and reimagining the existing, but not original, window layout and details. Later extensions to the building, not matching its original architectural language, were subject to deeper intervention, and clearly differentiated with a contrasting cladding of wooden slats. Besides the visible result of its exterior, the interior of the building also underwent a significant change, making it more functional and effective for the use of a Hotel

Raising the right questions and identifying the architectural challenge resulted in a building that responds to its new use and we couldn't be happier with the result.

More information coming soon.

Three-time finalist Pedra Silva Arquitectos crowned winner at Surface Design Awards 2021

February 23rd, 2021

Pedra Silva Arquitectos has been crowned winner of the ‘Public Building Interior’ category of the 2021 Surface Design Awards.

The Portuguese design house reached the finals in three separate categories at this year’s event - widely recognised as a reference for the global architecture industry.

The Surface Design Awards aims to recognise and celebrate the best use of innovative surface materials in architecture and design from across the world. It attracted more than 110 entries from 15 countries.

PSA Founder and Managing Partner Luis Pedra Silva said: "This is the first time we have entered the Surface Design Awards and we're naturally thrilled to have made three separate shortlists and scooped the prize for 'Public Building Interior'.

"The Maida Smiles Project helps illustrate our unique and personal approach, with a firm emphasis on collaborative design and transparent working relationships with clients. We worked very closely with the Maida Smiles dental team to make their vision a reality.

"Like many of our projects we also partnered with local artisans to provide an intimate and bespoke design solution, involving acute attention to detail. This is part of our broader mission to create spaces which genuinely fulfill their purpose and contribute to the wellbeing of those who occupy them."

Global healthcare design specialist PSA also reached the finals of the ‘Light & Surface Interior’ and ‘Commercial Building Interior’ categories.

This year's judging panel was chaired by Nicola Osborn, Basha-Franklin and Steve Webb, Webb Yates Engineers. Their fellow judges were: Joseph Henry, Greater London Authority; Kresse Wesling MBE, Elvis & Kresse; Lee Mainwaring, Architecture Initiative; Nic Fallows, BNF Capital; Sarah Castle, IF_DO and Sofia Steffenoni and Simona Auteri, Matter of Stuff.

The event was live streamed from London as part of the Surface Design Trends presentation.

The 2021 Awards’ Partners included The Business Design Centre, Vitra, British Institute of Interior Design, The Institution of Lighting Professionals, Armourcoat, Mass Concrete and USM.

PSA project nominated for 'Building of Year 2021' on world leading architecture platform

February 8th, 2021

A Pedra Silva Arquitectos project featuring a new, state-of-the-art dental clinic in London, UK, has been nominated for 'Building of the Year 2021' by global publisher ArchDaily.

Click here to show your support and vote for our Maida Smiles Dental Clinic project.

The progressive and innovative design, which mirrors the advanced cosmetic dental service, has been recognised as a stand-out global healthcare project, alongside other entries from Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Brazil, France, China, Switzerland, Thailand, Haiti and India.

Archdaily is considered a reference for the global architecture space, being the most visited architecture site in the world. The ethos behind the 'Building of the Year' Award is to engage its massive following, and the largest community of architects on the internet.

With 15 separate categories, voting remains open for a two week period for visitors to reward the best projects published on the platform over the last 12 months.

PSA Founder and Managing Partner Luis Pedra Silva said: "This is another terrific endorsement for our Maida Smiles project which has attracted a large amount of attention over the last 10 months. Healthcare is a key market for Pedra Silva Arquitectos where we've managed to build a global portfolio over the last two decades. We are thrilled to receive this level of recognition from ArchDaily which is held in high regard across our industry, and helps demonstrate the expertise and passion we have for our work.

"The Maida Smiles concept was uniquely intricate involving more than 1600 individually handcrafted ceramic discs, for our honeycomb cluster ceiling-to-floor wall design. We collaborate with a network of craftspeople around the world and adopt artisan practices in many of our projects to provide an original signature mark. A clean, clinical and sophisticated edge was also crucial in line with the brand identity.

"Further design within the actual dental theatres also required a strong technical understanding of workflow, equipment and medical procedures - an important skill set we have developed over much time, which has played a fundamental role in our international growth."

For more information on the Maida Smiles project visit our project page

For more information on Archdaily visit https://www.archdaily.com/

PSA reaches three shortlists at Surface Design Awards 2021

January 18th, 2021

Pedra Silva Arquitectos has been shortlisted in multiple categories of the 2021 Surface Design Awards!

The event attracted more than 100 entries from 8 countries around the world - so we are thrilled to be named finalists in three separate categories, including Light & Surface Interior, Public Building Interior and Commercial Building Interior. Winners will be announced on February 11.

All applications relate to our design of London-based Maida Smiles Dental Clinic, which delivers world-class cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics. The design took inspiration from our interpretation of ceramic dental implants which are commonly used in restorative dentistry. This took the form of more than 1600 hand-crafted ceramic discs which cover the walls in a honeycomb-style cluster. Another key aspect involved the technical side of the design within the actual dental theatre, where we have developed a deep understanding of workflow, equipment and procedures.

The Surface Design Awards recognise and celebrate the best use of innovative surface materials in architecture and design from across the globe. Launched 8 years ago, the awards are seen as a reference for the architecture and design industry, judged by leading designers in the industry.

Pedra Silva Arquitectos Highly Commended for ‘Best Practice Brand & Design’ at 2020 Private Dentistry Awards

December 21st, 2020

Pedra Silva Arquitectos (PSA) has been 'Highly Commended' in the 2020 Private Dentistry Awards.

After reaching the finals in two separate categories the Lisbon design studio clinched the Highly Commended award for 'Best Brand & Design' for its work involving Maida Smiles Dental Clinic, in London.

The Private Dentistry Awards is one of the most prestigious industry events recognising excellence across the UK & Ireland. This year, award organisers received more submissions than ever before, leading to a highly competitive shortlist process before final results were released in December. The best ‘Brand & Design’ category included 10 other finalists alone.

Founder Luis Pedra Silva said the team is thrilled to have received this commendation from the Private Dentistry Awards, which is regarded as the flagship event for the UK dentistry sector. “PSA is a renowned healthcare sector specialist with a strong track record delivering projects across Europe, Africa and Australasia. The last time we entered the Private Dentistry Awards was 10 years ago - when we secured ‘Best New Practice’ with Brighton Implant Clinic – so there’s a nice symmetry in receiving this accreditation a decade on.

“It’s important to highlight this sort of recognition from third party experts as it underlines the depth of knowledge and experience, we have developed over the years. While the aesthetics are important with any design, we have also developed a strong bank of technical expertise with solutions addressing workflow, equipment and procedures across world-class surgical and operating areas. This technical element is a crucial part of our offer to the healthcare market.”

PSA’s design inspiration for Maida Smiles Dental Clinic is based around the theme of ceramic dental implants which are commonly used in restorative dentistry. This took the form of more than 1600 hand-crafted ceramic discs which cover the walls in a honeycomb-style cluster, providing a modern, clean and clinical edge.

Meanwhile the Maida Smiles logo design is a reinterpretation of the act of laughing. This creates a story around the circle and the image of the smile. The design further illustrates PSA’s passion to preserve artisan practices involving high skill craftmanship and its collaborative approach with artists from around the world.

Maida Smiles Clinic Founder and Principal Dentist Dr Pedro Gutierres said: “When we set up, we chose to invest significant sums to develop a design and brand which would mirror our core values and advanced services. The delicate, bespoke design provides an indication of the attention to detail and personal focus given to each and every patient, in turn highlighting Maida Smiles’ pursuit of clinical precision and excellence."

“The minimalist, free-flowing design further maximises space, with the custom-made ceramic wall and iconic furniture working in tandem to create a dynamic between surfaces, light and reflection. It is incredibly satisfying to see our brand and design receiving this level of recognition after all the hard work dedicated to this project. We will continue to strive for providing world-class dentistry, right here in the heart of London.”

The Private Dentistry Awards judges are made up of an independent panel of dental professionals.

PSA Founder and Principal Architect selected for prestigious FRAME Jury

December 3rd, 2020

PSA Founder and Principal Architect Luis Pedra Silva has been selected as a Jury Member for the highly prestigious FRAME Awards. Luis joins a panel of 15 international architecture experts to adjudicate a series of leading projects from around the globe throughout the month of December.

As of September 2020, the FRAME awards made a bold step to become a more democratic and integral part of the global interior-design community. A jury panel of industry stakeholders is now appointed each month to vote for 'Interiors of the Month' as well as highly commended projects.

The jury consists of a broad cross-section including designers, architects and planners, but also contractors, manufacturers, retailers, hospitality entrepreneurs, creative directors, design managers and developers.

Luis said the appointment provides an excellent opportunity for Pedra Silva Architects to meet peers from around the globe, expand its network and become a fully-fledged part of the Frame community. "I'm thrilled to be joining the December jury," he said. "This is a strong endorsement for Pedra Silva Architects and helps underline the calibre and experience of our operation, which has been working internationally for almost two decades."

"The role will no doubt help increase visibility for our brand and provide a platform to express our opinions and share our thoughts from a professional perspective. FRAME is a hugely important publication for the global architecture industry, setting the global agenda for spatial design. It's terrific to be part of that discussion."

New Associate Programme

September 11th, 2020

Pedra Silva Architects is proud to announce the creation of a new 'Associate Programme' promoting key members of staff to help direct and guide the firm. A total of five team members have been awarded associate status due to long-standing commitment and service to the practice. They will now form a senior management core alongside founder and managing director Luis Pedra Silva, helping drive a series of new and ambitious initiatives in the coming years. The associates will also crucially work together to promote the ethos and integrity of the firm.

Our design studio thrives on creativity, innovation and collaboration which is all underpinned by solid teamwork. Our associate programme will help harness this energy and propel the business moving forward. We believe in empowering valued team members - who have made our business the success it is today - by ensuring they are part of the decision-making process. This will allow us to continue growing as a team and motivate our architects to think ambitiously about business growth in the next decade.

New associates include Irene Cunha, Ricardo Conceição, Bernardo Nadais, Joana Anjos and Inês Andrade.


About the Associates:

Irene Cunha graduated in Architecture from the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa in 1997. Over the last 20 years she has gained a wealth of experience across several sectors, including Mixed-use developments, Retail, Offices, Hospitality and Residential buildings. She joined PSA in 2016 as Lead Architect and Practice Manager, working closely with clients to deliver projects from feasibility through construction. Irene is an integral member of the design development team, ensuring that all designs meet and exceed our client's objectives.

Ricardo Conceição graduated in Architecture from the Universidade Moderna de Lisboa and has been with the office for the past 11 years. Before joining Pedra Silva Arquitectos Ricardo collaborated with several offices between Lisbon and Barcelona. He was also an invited lecturer at PARQ – Architecture and Landscape Department, University Vasco da Gama [Coimbra]. Ricardo has a wide experience of working on highly complex projects, where he brings great ingenuity and creativity, by developing strong client service-oriented solutions with a pragmatic and creative vision. He has international experience in the Residential and Health Sectors, and he is currently leading the Workplace and Offices design teams for international corporate clients, such as OLX and Google to name a few.

Bernardo Nadais joined the team in 2014 after completing a master's at the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade de Lisboa. He is a key member of the Visualization team and makes sure that each project is developed with the highest standards. Lately he has been responsible for the development of a number of Residential projects, including a Luxury Villa in Moscow and Courtyard house in Lisbon, and is currently part of the team developing a five-star hotel in Ericeira.

Joana Anjos holds a master’s degree from the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade de Lisboa.She joined the team in 2014 where she has developed a niche working on High End luxury private houses and public infrastructure buildings, including the interiors of luxury apartments in Moscow, the Zero Museum and the award winning offices of OLX in Lisbon. Joana is our in-house interiors expert and is responsible for the office's Interiors Department. All projects interior specifications have been developed with her help. She is currently developing a private house in Algés, as well as supporting all other teams from the creative process to all phases of the several projects under development.

Inês Andrade holds a master’s in Architecture from D’ Arq da FCT da Universidade de Coimbra, after completing an exchange program in Uruguay. She joined Pedra Silva Arquitectos in 2017, with strong experience in residential housing and mid-scale hospitality markets. Inês has been deeply involved in the creative process of the office projects, developing and creating different concepts for the OLX offices and more recently has been one of the Design Leads responsible for delivering the Google spaces and Biogen Office in Lisbon.

Pedra Silva Arquitectos associates

Covid-19 Workspace Consultancy

September 10th, 2020

Pedra Silva Architects has launched a specialist 'Return-to Office' consultancy service in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Our team is working closely with clients to optimise their workspaces and protect workforces while crucially maximising efficiency. We are now looking to share our bank of knowledge on 'post-Covid' workplace strategies with firms operating in multiple sectors - including Commercial Office, Hospitality, Leisure, Retail, Dental and Health - to help adapt floorplans and create safe and functional workspaces.

Since March 2020 we have witnessed a major shift in the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace. This is now the top priority for almost all organisations from SMEs to global corporates. The nature of this virus means organisations need to reconsider many aspects of their operation such as movement, density and shielding of people.

New measures we have introduced include special transit-zones adhering to 2-metre ‘safe distance’ rules. This covers primary and secondary circulation routes as well as movement around workspaces and eating-areas. We have further designed systems to control office density with staff layout plans, space divisions and all necessary signage instructions, with further measures to boost hygiene - particularly in areas such as elevators, toilets and gathering spaces.

Ultimately, these spaces need to be fluid and responsive to new working patterns and a more transient workforce. They must also be adaptable for different uses including one-on-one meetings, brainstorming sessions, teamwork, conferences and networking events.

COVID countermeasures scheme

Fraunhofer Oporto Offices win 2016 Green Good Design Award

May 6th, 2016

We were once again awarded for the Fraunhofer Offices project in Oporto. The prize was announced by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, who chose the project as the winner of the 2016 Green GOOD DESIGN™ Award.

This is the eighth year that these institutions have developed this very specialized edition of the original GOOD DESIGN program, which was founded in Chicago in 1950 and remains the oldest and most important Awards Program worldwide. For the 2016 Green GOOD DESIGN™ Award, hundreds of submissions from around the world were received. Members of The European Centre’s International Advisory Committee—worldwide leaders in the design industry—served as the jury, and selected projects from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, product, packaging, and graphic design as outstanding examples of Green Design from 22 nations.


You can find more information about GOOD DESIGN™ and the Green GOOD DESIGN™ Award here.

Fraunhofer Oporto

Uralchem Headquarters is a Finalist for the 2016 Archdaily "Building of the Year" Award

January 6th, 2016

Uralchem Headquarters project, from Pedra Silva Arquitectos, is one of the finalists for the 2016 Archdaily "Building of the Year" Awards, Interior Architecture category.

This is the 7th edition of the Archdaily "Building of the Year" Awards, which recognizes and rewards the projects that are making an impact in the profession of Architecture. The votes come from an unbiased, distributed network of jurors and peers that has elevated the most relevant projects over the past year.

After being selected from over 3000 projects, now there’s only five projects per each 14 categories. You can vote now for your favourite, until February 8th. The winner will be announced on February 9th.

Although it has not been selected as a finalist, our Care Implant Dentistry project was also nominated for the award, in the Healthcare category.


You can find more information about the Archdaily "Building of the Year" Award and see all the finalists here.

Uralchem Headquarters

Care Implant Dentistry wins "The Best of Asia Pacific Design" Award

December 21st, 2015

Our Care Implant Dentistry project in Sydney was the winner of The Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards 2015 in the category of Healthcare and the reception took place in Hong Kong on the 10th December.

This is the 3rd annual edition of The Best Asia Pacific Design Awards, promoted by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), the Commercial Interior Design association that supports design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms and their clients through a network of more than 15,000 members across 58 countries.

The jury - Annie Chu, Primo Ophilla and Joey Shimoda - selected the winners from a shortlist. This award seeks to recognize and honour the highest level of creativity and design excellence in Architecture and Interior Design projects in the Asia Pacific region.


You can learn more about the International Interior Design Association and the award here.

Care Implant Dentistry

INSIDE World Festival of Interiors Awards

November 30th, 2015

Two of our projects, Uralchem Headquarters and Care Implant Dentistry, have been shortlisted for the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors Awards.


You can find more information on the INSIDE Festival and the awards here.

Care Implant Dentistry

Uralchem Headquarters published in the book Custom Made Office 3

September 20th, 2015

Our project, Uralchem Headquarters, has been published in the workspace architecture and design book Custom Made Office 3, published by Design Vision International Publishing Co.

Uralchem Headquarters

Honourable Mention for Uralchem Headquarters in The Plan Award 2015

May 21st, 2015

Pedra Silva Arquitectos won an Honourable Mention with their project Uralchem Headquarters in the Interiors category of The Plan Award 2015, organized by Italian Architecture Magazine The Plan.

Perspective Europe 2015, the event where the awards ceremony was held, is an International Architecture Forum with more than 1000 professionals participating from all over the world. The objective of the event is recognising and sharing quality architecture.


You can find out more about The Plan Magazine and the Award here.

Uralchem Headquarters

Pedra Silva Arquitectos wins public competition to design new Digital Arts Centre

November 3rd, 2014

Pedra Silva Arquitectos won 1st place in the Public Design Competition for the Zer0 Museum: Digital Art Centre, in Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Algarve, Portugal.


You can see our proposal here.

Zero Museum

Archdaily interview with Luis Pedra Silva

September 9th, 2012

Archdaily featured an interview with Luis Pedra Silva about our office, architecture and the current financial crisis in Portugal.


You can read the full interview on Archdaily here.

Archdaily logo

TV interview with Luis Pedra Silva in Porto Canal

March 22nd, 2012

Luis Pedra Silva gave an interview for Porto Alive!, on the Porto Canal TV network, concerning our recent Archdaily "Building of the Year" Award.


You can watch the full interview here.

Porto Canal logo

Fraunhofer Oporto Offices win 2011 Archdaily "Building of the Year" Award

March 7th, 2012

This year’s Archdaily prize for "Building of the Year" in the Interiors category was given to Pedra Silva Arquitectos for the Fraunhofer Portugal Headquarters project. From an initial group of about 400 proposed projects for the interior category, the final round was shared with four other projects (MTV, Red Bull, AOL and no Pic-Nic).

Archdaily is the world’s largest architecture publishing website, with about 200 thousand daily readers (350 million page views in 2011) and 467 thousand people following it on Facebook and 60 thousand on Twitter, making it one of the leading architecture display platforms in the world today.

The Interiors category was one of the 14 existing categories running in the Archdaily "Building of The Year" Prize. Other categories winners included renowned architects, such as OMA, Steven Holl, Schmidt Hammer architects, RO&AD, RARE and ACXT.


You can find more information on the award here.

Fraunhofer Oporto

Pedra Silva Arquitectos awarded Special Mention in EUROPAN 10 Competition

January 25th, 2010

Pedra Silva Arquitectos is among the list of awards for the EUROPAN 10 competition. The results were announced on January 18. Our proposal, “VORONOY FOOTPRINTS”, for the Cascais-Cabreiro study area was awarded with a Special Citation by the jury.


You can find out more about EUROPAN and the competition here.

Europan 2009

Brighton Implant Clinic awarded "Best New Dental Practice in the UK"

November 18th, 2009

Our office won the prize for “Best New Dental Practice in the UK” in the Private Dentistry Awards, with our project for the Brighton Implant Clinic. The award ceremony was held at the intercontinental Hotel in London this year, where the national Private Dentistry Awards saw the largest turnout in their history.


You can find more information on the awards here.

Brighton Implant Clinic