Samuel Gonçalves
Samuel Gonçalves is an architect and founder of SUMMARY, a Portugal-based studio focused on modular and prefabricated construction. He studied at FAUP – Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, and worked at the Chilean studio ELEMENTAL, directed by Alejandro Aravena. In 2015, he established SUMMARY, which gained international recognition through the GOMOS building system and participation in exhibitions at venues such as the Venice Biennale, the Boston Society of Architects, the Bauhaus Centenary, and the Casa da Arquitectura – Portuguese Centre for Architecture.
Samuel has been a researcher at TU Delft (2024) and CEAU-FAUP (2025), and has collaborated with the University of Miami School of Architecture through several teaching programmes. His work ranges across different scales and programs — from collective housing to educational buildings and public space — always exploring the potential of prefabrication and its tectonic effect in architecture.
Book/Author suggestion
Book Suggestion: Four Walls and a Roof: The Complex Nature of a Simple Profession, by Reinier de Graaf
Why: This book offers a sharp, unflinching, and often brutal portrait of architecture as a profession. De Graaf dissects the contradictions, compromises, and power structures behind the practice with rare honesty, making it an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the reality behind architecture’s idealized image.
Abstract
Founded by Samuel Gonçalves, SUMMARY is a Portugal-based architecture studio focused on accelerating and simplifying construction processes through prefabrication and modular systems. With a pragmatic yet experimental vision, the studio has developed a range of building solutions in close collaboration with companies in the industrial construction sector, aiming to optimize time, resources, and the very nature of the building process. From installations at the Venice Biennale and virtual exhibitions to large-scale architectural projects, SUMMARY explores how off-site production methods can be powerful tools for reshaping the way we build. In this lecture, Samuel Gonçalves will present SUMMARY’s approach and body of work, reflecting on how industrialized construction can bring measurable benefits to cities, improve conditions for workers, reduce environmental impact, and significantly accelerate the building process.