When we enter the studio led by architect João Tiago Aguiar, we are impacted by physical evidence of his passions: the soccer ball and the photographs of the houses he designed with very special models (his wife and children). João Tiago Aguiar even managed to create a unique and special connection between sport and architecture. Opportunities intersected: in the same year he won the competition to design a large hotel and managed to get his team up a division. After this "big" start, the studio worked on all kinds of typologies, including housing, catering, services, interiors and even furniture. On this path he received several awards, such as the "Surface Design Awards" in the United Kingdom twice, the RENOV 2015 award from the municipality of Oeiras and was a finalist in several categories of the "Archdaily" awards. In 2020, he was awarded the "Best of 2020" by the Archello website. In 2021, he received the SIL Award for the Avencas Ocean View Residences project and the  Build for the rehabilitation of Maison Eduardo Coelho. In 2022, the studio was once again recognized with the National Real Estate Award for the Avencas Ocean View Residences project and with the SIL Award for Maison Eduardo Coelho. During the conversation with idealista/news, for the In the architect's house section, it was possible to feel the architect's emotional connection with his work. João Tiago Aguiar is transparent. A transversal word: regardless of budget, you believe that nothing should want to look like something it is not. Duplex Campolide Duplex Campolide How did your relationship with architecture begin? Was it something you always imagined following? No, not at all. I am the youngest of six siblings and I have always loved to draw, but I loved sports. I practiced several modalities but, when I thought about the future, I saw that following sport meant being a Physical Education teacher, and that I didn't want. My brothers insisted: "You have a knack for drawing, you should go into architecture." But my father was not with conceited. He said: "Architecture has no mathematics, you have to go to Engineering." I took exams for Civil Engineering at Técnico, but when it came to choosing the first option, I followed my intuition and chose architecture. It was a bit without my father's knowledge, but it was the best decision. I took exams for Civil Engineering at Técnico, but when it came to choosing the first option, I followed my intuition and chose architecture. And how was your initial experience in the job market? As soon as I finished the course, I worked in Portugal for six months and then went to Amsterdam with a Leonardo da Vinci scholarship, which helped young architects to enter the job market. The idea was to stay for a year, but I ended up staying for three. I started with basic tasks, such as making models and making photocopies, but over time, I gained responsibility. By the end, I was already developing concepts for facades and entire projects. I returned to Portugal in 2000 and worked for four years in a multinational law firm in Lisbon. In the meantime, I continued to live at my mother's house. It was then that she said to me: “João, you're almost 30, you need to think about your life.” Vilamoura villa Vilamoura villa And that's when you decided to open your own studio? Not directly. I was still playing federated futsal and a former coach invited me to play for a small team that wanted to move up a division. I accepted. Funnily enough, the president of that club owned the largest hotel group in Lisbon. They had just bought the old RTP building to turn it into a five-star hotel and were about to launch a competition to choose the architect. A professor who knew the president mentioned that I was an architect. The president asked me: “Have you ever done hotels?” I said yes, but always as part of teams from other studios. He said: “I'm going to invite eight or nine studios to the competition. You don't have a studio, but if you want to submit a proposal, you're invited.” I teamed up with an architect friend and, after work, we spent the evenings developing the proposal. Surprisingly, we won! And so, in 2004, I opened my studio with this project, which was completed in 2008. So soccer turned out to be a determining factor in your career... Yes! Irony of fate: my mother used to say that “life isn't just about soccer”, but it was thanks to soccer that I had this opportunity. Restelo Villa Restelo Villa After that big initial project, how did the studio evolve? We thought that after that 30,000 square meter hotel, there would only be huge projects. But when the hotel was almost ready, at the end of 2007, the financial crisis began. Fortunately, we had done small refurbishments of apartments and stores, and that became our main source of work in the following years. How was the transition to smaller projects? It was a challenge, but also an opportunity. We did an apartment in Avenidas Novas, which was published in several magazines and helped attract more clients. I also realized the importance of photography in architecture. During the crisis, many offices came to a standstill, but we continued to document and publicize our projects, which helped keep the studio visible and active. Hills Hotel Lisboa Hills Hotel Lisboa Today, what kind of projects does the studio work on? Currently, around 80% of our work is housing. We do everything from small refurbishments to large-scale projects, such as 150-apartment buildings or entire developments. We also have luxury housing projects, houses in Quinta da Marinha, Restelo... But we don't limit ourselves to a specific segment. We've done restaurants, hotels and offices. Currently, around 80% of our work is housing. We do everything from small refurbishments to large-scale projects. What's the difference between designing ordinary housing and luxury housing? The biggest difference is not just the budget, but the client themselves. There are clients with little money who trust the architect completely and want to be surprised. And there are luxury clients who, despite the large budget, want to impose too many ideas, often based on what they've seen in magazines. This can limit the architect's creativity. The essential thing in a project is to maintain a strong and coherent concept. If there are too many external influences, you run the risk of creating a space that looks like a patchwork quilt and quickly becomes tiresome. Your studio has a very personalized approach. How do you define this philosophy? We like to treat each project as 'tailor-made', almost like a tailor makes a bespoke suit. Each client and each space is unique. What's more, we believe in honest materials. If we use wood, we use real wood, not vinyl imitating wood. If we're using stone, we use stone, not ceramic tiles pretending to be stone. This principle applies to both the projects and the way we deal with clients. We like to treat each project as tailor-made, almost like a tailor makes a bespoke suit. Each client and each space is unique. Restelo House Interior Restelo House Is there any kind of project you'd still like to do? Yes, I'd love to design a church. I've already done a private chapel, but I'd like to do something bigger. Architecture, at its best, has a very strong emotional and spiritual impact. A church is a space where light and space play an essential role, creating an atmosphere of introspection and connection. Finally, what is the biggest challenge of running an architecture studio? Running a studio isn't just about architecture, it's also about being an entrepreneur. There's no specific training for that. You have to find a balance between growing and maintaining sustainability. I never wanted to take a step too far and run the risk of not being able to pay the team. Fortunately, I've never had to fire anyone and I hope to continue doing so.