The notion of limit in architectural theory. Two case studies in Portugal

Modern Portuguese architecture has been seen as the result of an eminently empirical and intuitive practice, dissociated from any effort of theoretical structuring. This paper intends to contradict that predominant view, presenting the notion of spatial limit as a subject that earned particular consideration from a younger, more critical and intellectually demanding generation of architects. Firstly, it introduces two notions directly related to limit - ‘extensions of the dwelling’ and ‘transition-space’ - presented in theses by Nuno Portas (b. 1934) and Pedro Vieira de Almeida (1933-2011) respectively, two highly innovative works in the academic panorama of early 1960s. Next, it focuses on the fundamental role each of the notions taken in investigative works that are parallel in time but substantially different. The first, Habitação evolutiva, is a typological study reflecting the spirit of its time by claiming the ‘right to the city’ as the founding principle of a model critical of CIAM urbanism. The second is an essay stemming from a critical reflexion on the work of an eclectic architect that eludes categorization (Raul Lino, 1879-1974) which sheds light on the need for a critical approach to the history of modern architecture.

Transition Space at the Museum: A Community Arts-Based Group Program to Foster the Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Youths with Mental Health Problems

Transition Space at the Museum is a community arts-based group program aiming to foster the psychosocial rehabilitation of adolescents and young adults with mental health problems. In this pilot evaluation, we assessed the preliminary effectiveness of the program at improving participants’ well-being and social functioning. Following a mixed-methods, single-group, repeated-measures design, we collected data before, during, and after program from participants, clinicians, and close relatives using standardized questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We found converging quantitative and qualitative results supporting the safety and potential of the program to improve the way participants feel and function socially in the short term.