ilhéu stands for the feeling of attachment to a place. It’s a young insular architectural practice working between Lisbon and Ponta Delgada, led by Rita Sampaio and Afonso Botelho Santos.

While sharing different experiences, they are united by a common vision on architecture as a multidiscipline, where art, urban installation, exhibition and scenic design interact. With enthusiasm and curiosity, they explore and express their ideas through thoughful engagement with drawing, modelling, collage and material prototyping.

Rita Sampaio (1991, Ponta Delgada)
Studied Architecture at FAUP (Oporto) and did an exchange period at POLIMI (Milan). After graduating, Rita worked in Ponta Delgada with Luís Almeida e Sousa and later in London with Russian For Fish. Before establishing her own practice, Rita collaborated with Pedro Maurício Borges and FSSMGN in Lisbon until 2019.

Afonso Botelho Santos (1991, Lisbon)
Studied Architecture at FAUL (Lisbon) and did an exchange year in Rio de Janeiro, from 2012 to 2013. Afonso worked with Pedro Pacheco (2014-2016), with José Mateus (2016-2017) and with Eduardo Souto de Moura (2017-2020). Besides his collaboration in architecture studios, Afonso took part in several cultural projects, such as Trienal de Arquitetura, Porta 14 and was part of the curational team of Note – Galeria de Arquitetura.