Casa Souto, designed by Architect Manuel Ventura, receives Honorable Mention at the International Architecture Awards 2025

Casa Souto, designed by architect Manuel Ventura, has received an Honorable Mention at the International Architecture Awards 2025. This prestigious international award recognizes architecture, landscape, and urban planning projects that stand out for their innovation, quality, and sustainability. The International Architecture Awards are organized by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, in partnership with the European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and Metropolitan Arts Press, Ltd.

Casa Souto unfolds across three superimposed levels that adapt to the site’s natural topography—both in their placement and in the geometric composition of the volumes. The lower floor is partially embedded into the terrain, while the upper volume rests atop the intermediate level, creating a generous porch that enhances the building’s surroundings while optimizing solar exposure, views, and privacy.

The rich natural and landscape heritage of the municipality of Maia allowed the integration of a pre-existing area of high environmental value into the project—featuring a small cork oak grove that was preserved and enhanced within the intervention perimeter. This approach reflects a strong commitment to safeguarding and enriching local identity, as well as protecting the environment.

The house was built using materials carefully selected for their quality and suitability to the program’s requirements, the surrounding context, and the desired architectural expression. The exterior features durable and resilient pine wood panels, white aluminum cladding, and minimalist metal frames, all contributing to a clear and precise reading of the built ensemble.

A hallmark of this house is the intentional and carefully designed relationship between interior and exterior spaces—a distinctive feature present in many of Manuel Ventura’s single-family housing projects.

The Honorable Mention highlights the architectural quality delivered by Ventura + Partners and places the municipality of Maia on the international stage of architectural recognition.