João Vieira presents “Wood as a Sustainable Solution” at Timber WorQs 2026

Architect João Vieira, founder of Studio JV, was one of the guest speakers at the opening session of Timber WorQs 2026, a leading event dedicated to wood construction, held at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) in Lisbon. The meeting brought together experts and decision-makers to discuss the role of wood in the sustainable transformation of the construction industry in Portugal.

During his presentation, João Vieira established a link between Portuguese historical heritage and technological innovation. He recalled that, after the 1755 earthquake, the reconstruction of downtown Lisbon used knowledge of naval engineering to create resilient wooden structures, such as the Pombaline cage, which still define the anti-seismic identity of the region today.

For the founder of Studio JV, the future of architecture necessarily involves industrialization and the transition from a model centered on the individual figure to a collaborative practice, arguing that co-authorship between architects, engineers and industry is fundamental to enabling projects with high productivity and low waste.

Reflecting on Studio JV’s practice, João Vieira presented the vast portfolio of timber-framed and mixed-system projects that the firm has developed between Portugal and Brazil. Among the highlighted examples, he emphasized the efficiency of modular construction and the use of hybrid structures where the precision of digital design allows for the combination of concrete foundations with timber upper bodies, optimizing environmental performance and construction time.

I believe in the creative use of wood to respond to global changes. Our role is to guide people’s desire for a more balanced life through architecture that cares for the earth, people, and the future.

Participation in Timber WorQs reinforces Studio JV’s commitment to industrialized, technical, and sustainable construction, capable of shaping a future where formal sophistication goes hand in hand with ecological responsibility.