ABOUT US
Critical Concrete, is a busy non-profit organisation taking on challenges linked to the construction industry and aiming for sustainable practices. Located in Porto, where the need for affordable housing solutions is ever noticeable, Critical Concrete challenges the regular dynamisms of real estate development and promotes new mechanisms to rehabilitate social housing, improve public and cultural spaces shared by low-income communities. We also question the political meaning of sustainability in architecture, which has ambiguous connotations. For Critical Concrete, we follow our own understanding of sustainable architecture as: long lasting and easily repairable structures, made of locally sourced materials and upcycled waste.
Therefore, Critical Concrete has focused on researching, educating, designing and consulting on sustainable construction methods.
Our research hub for natural and sustainable construction materials researches anything from Mycelium as insulation to flooring made out of ash and lime. We use these materials as an affordable non-polluting solution to renovate social housing units, which simultaneously advocates for the fundamental universal right for adequate housing. Additionally, we record our findings through articles aiming for accessibility to a broad audience of DIY builders in the future and for our community to be informed and inspired.
We decided to venture into educational programmes as a response to the growing interest in our research activities. Therefore, we began hosting an international practical and theoretical Summer School from 2016-2019. Here, families-in-need, students, and an interdisciplinary group of mentors, researchers, and practitioners teamed up to demonstrate the collective power capable of changing people’s housing habits. Its success inspired us to extend our education programmes by launching Criti.co – our sustainability e-learning hub, along with the one-year postgraduation course Sustainable-Sustainable Architecture
The Critical Studio component began since the Porto community started showing interest in our work. Now, we offer architectural consulting and design services to homeowners through our experience and expertise in sustainable construction in and around Porto. Following our philosophy to build with instead of for the people, we engage with the clients through participatory processes and personalized sustainable design solutions.
Last but not least, Co-lateral is the name of our Porto headquarters which serves as our office and workshop. Yet, we also love to use the space to host events and educational sessions to connect people with a keen interest in working towards a sustainable future.
VISION, MISSION & VALUES
VISION
We see the need for radical change in this world plagued by poverty, rising inequality, and waste of natural resources. We want to contribute to reshaping our society into one that is more egalitarian, empowering, and responsible within its social, environmental, and economic context.
STRATEGIES
- Run educational formats focused on social and sustainable architecture.
- Promote cultural and activist events in our production center.
- Provide a safe environment for minorities, free of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, or aporophobia.
- Embrace a non-speciesist way of living.
MISSION – STRATEGIC GOALS
- Develop and share an ecological and social approach to the building practice.
- Advocate for and contribute to the fundamental right to adequate housing.
- Learn and share more ecological and sustainable ways of living.
- Support initiatives that fight for racial, sexual, and social equality, as well as animal rights.
VALUES – CODE OF ETHICS
We live and convey our values as an organization to be:
- PARTICIPATIVE AND PROACTIVE in our methodology as well as within our social reality and with a behaviour pushing for social improvement and people empowerment.
- INCLUSIVE in our decision-making process, promoting mutual consensus.
- FEMINIST, ANTI-RACIST, VEGAN, and ECOLOGIST in our daily life, making our way to consume and live a conscious choice.
PATREON
Our work as a non-profit organization means we have fluctuating resources. Therefore, we’ve joined the Patreon platform as a way to get additional support. If you believe in everything we work on, feel free to support us with some donations!
We are extremely grateful for the regular support from our donors Joana Pessanha, Luis Díaz Díaz, Smriti Dhingra, Lindsey DePull, and Jules Esdaile. THANK YOU!
Our Team Members
Former Team Members
Special thanks
This project could have not started without the kind collaboration of many people. We are surely forgetting some, and accept our apologies for it.
THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to this project in the past, present, or future: Daniel Barbosa, Guillaume Besson (Presence Pro), Mafalda Correa Nunes, Matthias Einhoff, Francisco Adão da Fonseca, Giacomo Gallo, April Gertler, Patrick Hubmann, Miodrag Kuc, Pedro Leite, Claire Meguerditchian, Renato Mendes, José Paixão, João Pedro Rosa, Anke Strauss, Tomas Valle, Elisabete Valério, Aitor Varea, Julia Widdig, Marie Emeri, Marta Febrero Vázquez, Marco Alessandrini, Lindsey DuPell, Jules Esdaile.
…& Rita Almeida, we’ll always remember your beautiful soul.