Alvaro Siza Vieira speaks out at award ceremony

Alvaro Siza Vieira spoke out at his award ceremony last week against the lack of maintenance for buildings.

The architect was awarded an honorary Doctorate (“honoris causa”) from the University of Aveiro on Thursday 15^th December, accepting the degree while acknowledging that poorly maintained buildings are “a problem nationwide”.

Trio of architects honoured

Portuguese developers choosing cheap and fast construction options are also an obstacle, Siza Vieira added. Talking to reporters at the university, he admitted that the current economic climate was “very difficult” for architects.

The honorary degree was given to Alvaro Siza Vieira and two other architects: Eduardo Souto de Moura and Alcino Soutinho. The trio received the degrees from the institution, celebrating its 38^th anniversary, which recognised the men as important figures in the industry, particularly in transforming the university campus into “an icon of national architecture” - for example, Alvaro Siza Vieira, Asbeira.pt reports, designed the university library.

Prime Minister prioritises reform

The event was attended by Portugal’s Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, who addressed the audience of students and staff. Speaking before the ceremony, he highlighted the importance of structural reforms in the development of Portugal’s economy and housing industry.

"We must reject all the fears and remember that the problems arise from the difficulty of the tasks and not our weaknesses," Passos Coelho said. He concluded: “People are ends and means of economic activity,” adding: “The country has a huge way to go.”

A cause for celebration?

For now, the housing industry can take some comfort from the popularity of buy-to-let properties in the Algarve regions, and other popular tourist destinations. Recent reports have found that interest from overseas investors is still strong in Portuguese property, despite the economic crisis, as buyers look to profit from low house prices and high rental yields.

With demand at some of the country’s agents surprisingly strong and Vieira Siza’s honorary degree awarded at Aveiro, industry experts will hope that the celebrations continue in 2012. For many, it may not be very likely.

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