Campus and Community

Técnico alumnus is the first Portuguese to receive the Richard H. Driehaus medal

Engineer Vítor Cóias, Civil Engineering alumnus, was awarded the Richard H. Driehaus Medal for the Preservation of Heritage 2020, “for having stood out in researching, developing, using and spreading technical solutions addressed to respect the structural and constructive integrity of monuments to be rehabilitated or restored”, as mentioned in the press release.

“No less important has been his role as an educator for both the general and specialized public, thanks to the continuity and consistency of his numerous initiatives to promote a better conservation of the architectural heritage and constructive traditions through many conferences, publications, interviews, and especially through the creation of the magazine Pedra & Cal, the Sociedade Portuguesa de Estudios de História da Construção, and civil platforms such as the Grémio do Património (GECoRPA) or the Fórum do Patrimonio, which brings together most of the Portuguese associations dedicated to the defense of architectural heritage”, the statement said.

“His passion for his work led him to establish several companies that specialise in the diagnosis and preventative measures required to repair structural damage to historic buildings”,can also be read in the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism (INTBAU) website.

The Richard H. Driehaus Medal for the Preservation of Heritage recognizes “entrepreneurs, developers, heads of foundations or other institutions that are making “significant contributions to preserve and build upon heritage” and architectural traditions in Spain and Portugal.

The Medal will be given on 19th November, during the Rafael Manzano Prize ceremony at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, in Madrid.

The Richard H. Driehaus Heritage Preservation Medal and the Rafael Manzano Prize for New Traditional Architecture are delivered by INTBAU, a global network promoting traditional building, architecture, and urbanism, under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II.