FORA is an architectural collective founded in Athens in 2009 by João Fagulha, Raquel Oliveira and João Ruivo. The office is currently based in Lisbon, collaborating on a regular basis with other architects, urban planners, designers and engineers for the production of architectural and urban projects. The work continuously explores the relation between public and private realm, and the role of architecture as the ultimate social tool.
The office took part in several exhibitions, including the 2012 Venice Biennale, and their work has been awarded in several international competitions, including first prizes for "Upto35", for the design of a student residence in downtown Athens and "Innovation and Quality in School Environments" for the design of a 13.000m2 High School in Mem Martins, Lisbon; second prizes for "Boavista Social Housing", "Europan 10" in Lisbon and "Plateia Teatrou" in Athens, and were finalists in the ‘Nordic Built Challenge’, in Ellebo, Denmark. In 2014, FORA was appointed the winner of the international competition to renovate Plovdiv’s Central Square.
João Moura Fagulha, born in Lisbon 1980, graduated in architecture in 2006 from Instituto Superior Técnico, after studying one year in the Faculty of Architecture & Urbanism of Rio de Janeiro Federal University. Since 2007 established activity in Lisbon, collaborating with other professionals in various projects and competitions.
Raquel Maria Oliveira, born in Porto 1981, graduated in Architecture from the Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade do Porto in 2006, having studied one year in the Technical University of Delft. She started her professional experience in Netherlands, at West8, in Rotterdam, and worked after at DP6 Architectuurstudio, in Delft. In Madrid she worked at Ezquiaga Arquitectura.
João Prates Ruivo, born in Lisbon 1980, graduated in architecture in 2004 from Instituto Superior Tecnico, where he was a student of Prof. Manuel Vicente. After studying one year in the Technical University of Eindhoven, he worked in Rotterdam between 2005-2008, were he collaborated with Theo Deutinger (TD*) and at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, from where he moved to Athens to start his own practice. In 2014 he started a PhD at the Goldsmiths Institute in London.
Awards
2010
2nd Prize "Plateia Theatrou" GR
2nd Prize "Europan10-Lisbon" PT
1st Prize "Upto35-Student Housing Int. competition"GR
1st Prize "Concurso Inovação Espacos Escolares" PT
2012
Honourable Mention "Performance Architecture" PT
2013
Competition finalist "The Nordic Built Challenge" DK
2nd Prize
"Concurso Público para a Zona de Alvenaria do Bairro da Boavista" PT
2014
1st Prize "Plovdiv Central Square" BG
2016
2nd Prize "Room 18" GR
2017
2nd
Prize "Concurso Público Ponte Verde de Queluz" PT
FORA has collaborated with Panoptikon, Polígono, André Albuquerque, Tudor Vasiliu, Quadrante, André Adonis, Grigorys Kotsigianis, Vasilis Oikonomopoulos, Aleksandra Kiszkielis, Alexander Geroussis, Beth Hughes, Studio Dois, Raul Moura, i+i consulting, Atelier dos Remédios, Joana Lagos, Falanstério.