MOVING BOUNDARIES AMARES - Spring 2025 – COURSE AND RETREAT

The 5th Edition of the Moving Boundaries Course in Neuroscience, Environmental Psychology and Architecture features a new retreat format in beautiful rural Portugal, with presentations by faculty and participants, discussions, workshops, communal meals, morning walks, social activities, day trips and tours.

Course Topics include:  Embodiment: Body-Conscious Design and Somatic Design; Body and Environment (March 22, 23 and 24); Human Experience: Multisensory Experience, Emotion, Enactivism (March 25 and 27); Placemaking and Community: Culture and Place; Accessible Design and Neurodiversity (March 28 and 29). Selection of Sub-Topics: Body conscious design; Peripersonal space; Multisensory perception in architecture and design; Dynamic experience and Vision; Wayfinding; Acoustics; Architectural atmospheres and mood; Evidence based design and implications of design for human health; Enriched and restorative environments, etc. New research will be presented by architects, scientists, biologists, sociologists, environmental psychologists and health professionals.

The program begins on Saturday, March 22 in Amares, Minho region of Portugal, with its famous landscapes and rich history of vernacular architecture alongside outstanding modern architecture and design. During this retreat, participants and faculty will collaborate on a publication. All are invited to present work in interactive morning sessions. In the afternoons, you will have a chance to discuss and work in small groups, taking time to reflect on the morning sessions and to collaborate in immersive and embodied learning sessions with colleagues and faculty. The focus in the afternoon sessions will be on developing strategies and applications across disciplines. In addition to our usual activities, we will enjoy poetry readings, sketching sessions, lively debates and film screenings in the evenings. Contributions of all attendees will be included in the publication MBX Manifesto: Design for Health and Wellbeing.

Lectures and debates will be augmented with workshops, discussions and afternoon tours. One field trip early in the course will take us to see modern architecture designed by Alvaro Siza in Minho, followed by visits in the park and wine region. A second field trip in Porto will give us an opportunity to experience this magical city, its Ribeira, Foz and Matosinhos districts, as well as architecture built in the last two years. Stay tuned to hear about our surprise guests. 

In addition to architecture created by Siza, we will experience influential work by Eduardo Souto de Moura, while living together in his award-winning Pousada Amares, the restored Monastery Santa Maria do Bouro. Moving Boundaries Amares will end on Sunday, March 30th with a farewell lunch and panel discussions with participants.

Contact Us: movingboundaries2024@gmail.com