The areas of intervention DEX focus mainly on creating environments or spaces governed by the principles of sustainability and innovation.

Our interventions seek to create systems that interrelate the countryside and humanized in constant search for a symbiosis between the parties and ensuring the creation of cohesive and harmonious spaces.

DEX conducts studies and projects within the landscape architecture and urban planning. The scope of work areas is ensured by the active participation of a multitude of professionals who respond efficiently to customer needs and ensuring the quality and performance of the services in full respect for the environment.

The landscape is subject to several transformations and has numerous features that will instill a unique character. DEX want to be a pioneer in terms of environmental and urban regeneration and a precursor to actions that ensure the continuous improvement of standards of care and quality at both the countryside and the built environment.

We serve the landscape, we serve the human being!

The Moby II project has two distinct technical-scientific objectives, the first of which is related to the development of new constituent modules for the transport of the initial Moby model. The aim was to adapt the initial model to the metrics, size, proportion and geometry suitable for transport. This adaptation leads to the redesign of all Moby modules, thus presenting Moby II with a clear innovation when compared to Moby.

The second technical-scientific objective that this project sought to resolve is related to cost control, where new materials were analysed in order to make Moby II more competitive. This research on materials, finishes, equipment and design, enables the presentation to the market of a Moby II with significant added value in terms of price, quality, design and adaptation to the needs of different regions of the world. This objective has clearly been achieved through a very significant reduction in production costs.

Pretendendo fazer um projecto de futuro e para o futuro, não podemos negar ou esquecer a pertinência de algum temas em discussão na sociedade actual e na arquitectura em particular, como expressão de uma realidade. Assim trazemos à investigação um conjunto de problemáticas por resolver, nem sempre tidas em consideração, mas de indiscutível importância num futuro próximo.

– Ecologia. A necessidade de criar um espaço ecológico, saudável para o habitante e para o meio, e cuja construção, manutenção e desmantelamento seja respeitador do ambiente local e global. Ter uma consciência global e ecológica hoje é condição sin le qua non para a promessa de um futuro amanhã e a certeza de um desenvolvimento possível, sustentável e rentável.

– Economia. “Less is more” não só a nível formal! Existe hoje a necessidade de fazer mais com menos recursos: menos trabalho, menos pessoas, menos dinheiro… e este não é só um pensamento economicista como também uma das vertentes da ecologia. Tendo os nossos níveis de exigência e conforto aumentado urge criar formas de garantir esta qualidade de vida poupando recursos, criando formas mais eficientes de construção e funcionamento, reduzindo o erro e o desperdício.

– Acessibilidade. Como resultado de uma maior consciência cívica e social democratiza-se o espaço e o acesso a este, sendo uma expressão desta preocupação o “desenho universal”. Tornar todos os lugares acessíveis a todos é uma premissa para todos os criadores e organizadores do espaço.

For the past three decades, we have been studying, researching and developing architectures focused on Man and its Way of Living. We believe in architecture as a sensorial and emotional experience and we understand that space must have, as a common denominator, the happiness and well-being, both physical and psychological, of each of its users.

12 years ago, our CEO Nuno Lacerda Lopes had just finished defending his doctoral thesis where he developed an extensive study about the project and the new ways of inhabiting. Several years later, and based on our extensive experience in this field, we consider that the exceptionality of the current circumstances, where all assumptions, spaces and functionalities are called into question – pushed to the limit – require and justify an approach capable of launching guidelines for a new way of inhabiting.

The entire 19th Street should be rethought with special attention in the restructuring of the points of contact with other main roads and other important spaces of the City. The objective is to unite the heart of the City to the A41 access in a structured and hierarchical way, guaranteeing a new continuity between the several characteristic areas of the city and providing a greater interaction of the public space with the most important equipments. With this in mind, the intervention strategy aims at three fundamental intentions.

3.1 Redefinition of mobility systems:

• Integration of the mobility system at macro scale in 19th Street
• Redefinition of the main entrance sector in the City on 19th Street 
• Redesign of the link with Avenida 32
• Definition of one-way in the West side of 19th Street
• Road restructuring on the western edge of 19th Street
• Replacement of all parking spaces with public garden and support equipment
• Creation of two new underground car parking areas

3.2 Improving the network of public spaces:

• Creation of a green structural axis, strongly wooded with associated garden
• Valuing the main entrance sector in the City on 19th Street
• Creation of new Square/Garden on Avenida 32
• Marking the city centre at the western edge of 19th Street
• Valorisation of the Town Hall block
• Maintenance of existing trees and considerable increase in the tree heritage of the intervention area
• No tree should be cut down in the implementation of this project

3.3 Completion of existing road systems:

• Creation of new circulation alternatives

With the set of intentions and actions proposed, the intervention strategy aims to improve the quality of pedestrian and car flow through the deceleration of the latter, the subtle transition between them and the extension of the pedestrian area from Rua 19 to Nascente, articulating the different sectors of intervention through the unification of the space relative to Rua 19. It is also intended to integrate a new system of public space with a striking image that emphasises its character as an entrance way to the City and that constitutes a promoter factor of public usufruct.

1. Accessibility
The design of the routes in the outdoor space, which is strongly characterized by the topography, enables barrier-free crossing of the area from the northern part of the complex at Fellenbergstrasse to the southern part at Langgrüstraf3e. This circulation also enables joyful moments along the various rooms, which often switch between more public and spacious zones to more intimate and hidden ones. Entrances, general access areas and commercial uses as well as apartments and their sanitary rooms are dimensioned and designed barrier-free or can be adapted to the requirements of the situation.

2. Building development
The building complex is developing in the area in a way that tries to respect and complement the remarkable but calm city figure. The integration of the new proposal is based on the careful placement of the two buildings facing the penalties that border the property, the Fellenberg and Langgrüstraf3e.

These two buildings have the same character and follow the direction of their neighboring buildings, carefully adjusting their height. Both are significantly lower compared to the rest of the complex, so that the penalty images remain unaffected.

However, the proposal not only tries to blend in with its surroundings, but also to create its own strong identity, which becomes more evident in the core of the property, where a green carpet stretches across the two punishments. Here are two buildings with different shapes and a more prominent height, which allow the creation of a more pluralistic interior space. This results in a large number of apartment types and with different levels of sunlight.

On the ground floor, the green carpet is activated with entrances, common rooms and public programs such as the kindergarten or the social rooms.

3. Materialization
The composition of the four buildings is on a generous entrance level, which is emphasized by a particularly generous floor height and a change of material in the lower part is underlined. This level is interrupted by the interplay of the house entrances, large-format windows for commercial use and smaller windows for communal use. The rear-ventilated wooden facade that characterizes the entire complex develops from there. This block of wood is interrupted on each level by a self-supporting concrete balcony, which protrudes from the main structure and at the same time marks the change of level and provides the balcony areas. The balcony areas play a crucial role in the overall expression of the building. The densification with metal masts and the slight inclination of the facade creates a filigree appearance that refines the urban expression and gives each individual outdoor area a special and unique quality.

4. Economy
The urban settlement with four partially deep, compact buildings of simple geometry is the basis for an economic project. The conventional supporting structure in combination with prefabricated façade elements, a balanced proportion of glass in the façade and the use of common structures enable an economical one
Realization. The consistent use of suitable, durable and robust materials, constructions and surfaces leads to economical operating and maintenance costs. The project parameters HNF/GF, AN, AN, Ao/GF are in a good range.

5. Building technology & energy

A balanced proportion of glass in the facades and the compactness of the building due to deep and few structures form the basis for an energy-optimized overall system. The building technology concept is based on a building-by-building system for HLS in the basement, which is directly connected to vertical riser zones. PV systems and thermal solar collectors can be combined with green flat roofs. The heat is generated via the district heating network according to availability. All in all, the prerequisites for achieving the Minergie-P-Eco target values ​​are good.