74-14 SAAL and Architecture

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74-14 SAAL and ARCHITECTURE is the result of two conferences held at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto (May 2014) and at the University of Coimbra (November 2014), organized in the context of the 40th anniversary of SAAL – Serviço Ambulatório de Apoio Local (Local Support Ambulatory Service). Between 1974 and 1976, SAAL emerged as a decentralized and non-bureaucratic service operating within a complex tripartite relationship between communities, architects, and the state. It produced housing, sparked a significant reflection on the city and its planning processes, and made architectural practice possible. The goal of these events was to bring together researchers, architects, and residents to discuss SAAL as a historical model, in light of contemporary circumstances. Today, SAAL allows us to reflect on, question, and debate issues and challenges related to housing, as well as its close relationship with architecture. This book is organized into five converging and interconnected sections to offer a more comprehensive reading of the SAAL process and its architecture: Retrospective, Portuguese, Autonomous, Inclusive, and Transrelational.