Samuel Gonçalves – Architecture / Prefabrication / Design for Disassembly (DfD)

Samuel Gonçalves – Founder, SUMMARY

In this lecture, Samuel Gonçalves presents the work of SUMMARY, a Portugal-based architecture studio known for pushing the boundaries of prefabrication, modular construction, and Design for Disassembly (DfD). Founded with a mission to accelerate and simplify building processes, SUMMARY collaborates closely with industrial construction companies to develop efficient, scalable, and sustainable solutions that respond to contemporary urban challenges.

Gonçalves shares the studio’s journey, from installations at the Venice Biennale and digital exhibitions to large-scale architectural projects, illustrating how off-site production methods can reshape the way we build. He demonstrates how industrialized construction can reduce environmental impact, improve working conditions, and optimize both time and resources.

This talk highlights SUMMARY’s pragmatic yet experimental vision and reflects on how modularity, standardization, and DfD principles can help cities adopt faster, smarter, and more ecological construction models.