Why a Cultural Systems Architect designs guest experiences.
Designing the software of a heritage stay. In my practice as a systems architect, I often speak of "Responsive Environments"—spaces that adapt to the human behaviors within them. Nowhere is this more tangible than in the act of hospitality.
For me, Casa da Barroca (2017) and Casa do Carmo (2026) are not merely assets or accommodation; they are curated experiences of my home city. They represent a dialogue between the Hardware of history and the Software of modern living.
The Hardware: Heritage
The 'hardware' is the immutable soul of Lisbon. It is the 18th-century Pombaline cage construction, the Lioz stone, the steep attic angles of the Baixa. We do not edit this; we honour it. We strip back the layers to reveal the honest structural bones of the city.
The Software: Experience
The 'software' is the design intervention. It is the minimalist aesthetic my husband Rick and I curated for our own private lives—a space designed not for generic tourism, but for deep comfort and aesthetic clarity. It is the orchestration of light, the flow of movement, and the tactile quality of the materials.
The Privilege of Sharing
Ultimately, hospitality is an act of vulnerability. We are not offering a hotel room; we are opening the doors to our own homes. These spaces are the result of our own design choices, shaped by our personal taste and the way we wish to live.
Sharing them is a privilege. It allows us to offer guests a different lens through which to view Lisbon—not just as a tourist destination, but through the "Design and Heritage" angle. It is an invitation to inhabit the city as I know it: a place where the weight of history meets the lightness of modern design.
Experience the Spaces
We invite you to step into these urban designed environments and experience Lisbon through this curated lens.
