A minha casa, que foi projectada pela empresa Tirone Nunes, é um exemplo extremo do que acontece quando um edifício é pensado para ser funcional antes de ser bonito.

Foto: vista do quarto através da divisão flexível para a sala.

Assim e ao contrário do que é tradicional na arquitectura das casas em Portugal:

• Hall de entrada: não existe. O controlo de acessos ao apartamento é feito através do intercomunicador.
• Open-space: tem uma divisão flexível entre o quarto e a sala que torna a casa num open-space. (ver foto)
• Orientação: a casa é totalmente orientada a Sul sendo o controlo de temperatura feito através de persianas metálicas. Este sistema faz com que a temperatura média do apartamento seja constante sem recurso a ar condicionado ou aquecimento. Por exemplo, com 5ºC na rua, a casa terá normalmente uma temperatura de 20ºC.
• Luminosidade: a entrada de luz que acontece durante todo o dia através das três janelas que são viradas a sul permite disfrutar de toda a energia que a luz dos sol transmite no dia normal de descanso ou de trabalho (eu trabalho em casa).
• Materiais a utilização de materiais de qualidade e com controlo de origem permite garantir não só a sua durabilidade como também evitar a criação de problemas de saúde.
• Espaços comuns: o edifício tem 2 decks com jardim e em madeira (um junto à rua e um no 12º andar) sendo possível a qualquer habitante a reserva para um evento ou o simples usufruo no dia-a-dia.

Numa entrevista dada esta semana à Time Out, a arquitecta Livia Tirone explica os beneficios da arquitectura bio-climática e aponta para alguns dos problemas dos edifícios actuais:

• O ar condicionado é um sintoma de disfuncionalidade de um edificio.
• Os lindos edifícios em vidro que nos últimos anos invadiram a cidade não são, de maneira nenhuma, bons exemplos de construção sustentável.

Ou seja, forma e função estão mais uma vez em rota de colisão.

Para terminar deixo este vídeo (de 10 min) onde é possível ouvir Livia Tirone a explicar os conceitos por detrás da arquitectura dos edifícios que projecta e vantagens que isso proporciona.

Mais videos disponíveis no canal da Tirone Nunes ou no site Construção Sustentável.

Obrigado Livia (Tirone) e Ken (Nunes) por através do vosso trabalho contribuirem para o meu.

(via Copenhagenize.com)

This beautiful little video highlights some of the advantages of having a city prepared from cycling and how Copenhagen has invested heavily in cycling a long time ago.

Here in Lisbon we know we’re finally getting some bike paths and while that’s a start much more needs to be done. Stuff that is virtually free to do but politically demanding. Some examples. The metro stations and shopping streets should have bicycle parks, trains, buses and metros should more easily allow bicycles inside them and a free bicycle system (card driven like in Paris) should be build around the city center.

The event will take place between 7pm and 10pm and Sala Ogival de Lisboa (map). Anyone can come. No signup is necessary so you can just join us there. However you can lets us know your’re coming.

Join us at the beautiful Sala Ogival in Lisbon where you’ll have the opportunity to try some of the best Portuguese wines and cheeses. Note: It will cost €5 per person.

See you there!

Check the this is how we party @reboot video for a great feeling of reboot after party.

Zürich did move into the top spot, thanks to outstanding and still improving public transport, including an expanding tram system and main rail station; ample leisure activities, including 50 museums and excellent restaurants; environmental activism in setting new emissions targets; good business culture, with local authorities offering both advice and low-cost office space; and its airport, which serves 170 destinations and is now in line for a SFr460m (£262m) revamp.

Lisbon gets 25th place again! Can’t wait for the Monocle’s new edition to come out so I can read the reason why each city got their place.

Here’s a table showing this year’s positions:

Tetris is my favourite game. I use to play it on the Gameboy and on the PC and these days I play on the Mac (using Netrix) and on the Wii with Tetris Party. Long live Tetris!

To celebrate the occasion here’s a cool video of a human Tetris.

Homepage update
The homepage was updated and now shows Top grapes, Top tags and Latest wine reviews.

New Powerful Search Engine
A powerful new search engine was launched. It’s now possible to search wine names, vintages, grapes, tags and more. Try for example searching:

By grape
Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional, Syrah or Merlot.
By tag
wbw38, liwf09, ewbc2008
Order any results by
WineRank, Top Rated Wines, Top Favourites or Top Wishlist

Adegga Mobile: Members Profiles & Wines
Previously you could only search wines and check reviews and prices. Now you can check members profiles and view cellars, tasted wines, wishlists and favourites. It is now much easier to check your wines or your friends wine lists using your mobile.

Lots more to come. Can’t wait to announce the big thing we’ll be doing soon.

No reboot for me this year (sad sad sad), but I’ll be flying anyway to Paris and Barcelona for two distinct reasons and one common goal: Adegga.

On June 23 I’ll be in Paris to participate in a Barcamp organized by PrestaShop. PrestaShop is an open-source e-commerce platform that includes some Web 2.0 features and I want to meet the community and see what’s ahead for this wonderful application that we might be using on Adegga soon (yes, that’s a teaser).

After that, and directly from Paris (long live low cost), I’ll be spending 2 wonderful days with my good friends Ryan and Gabriella of Catavino.net who live in Barcelona (more specifically in Terrassa). I’m expecting lots of conversation and wine as always!

It all started with a fantastic Friday night summer concert looking at the beautiful Cortes de Cima vineyard and followed by a nice dinner in Beja with good friends and good wine.

The silence of the Cortes de Cima Vineyard

We stayed in the Pousada Beja Hotel, a former 13th century Franciscan Convent located in the heart of the historical centre of Beja and full of historic character and convent-like peace.

Saturday we drove to Alcácer do Sal passing through many small villages located somewhere in the middle of the Alentejo wine region. Beautiful vineyards, gorgeous small white-painted houses and a temperature of 38ºC completely correspond to what you can expect of this wonderful region in the south of Portugal.

All pictures from the weekend on Flickr.

In Alcácer do Sal we stayed in a small boutique hotel called Albergaria Ordem de Santiago just in front of the Sado river and looking over the many rice fields. Lots of small restaurants where you can eat plenty of local dishes. A perfect place for a 2 day getaway and only 60km from Lisbon.

From Alcácer do Sal there are several ways to reach Lisbon. After Praia da Comporta and next to Tróia there’s a very efficient Ferry service (my pictures here) that takes you and your car to Setúbal, just south of Lisbon (journey takes around 30 minutes).

I returned from the weekend more relaxed, full of energy and with some of lines of thought better organized than when I started the weekend. I should definitely do this more often.