Tomás Reis Portfolio
Architecture, illustration, territorial design
Contents 1.
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Architecture illustration 3
2.
Hope for Beirut 4
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HSBC Dubai Bank 5
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Planeta Perm 6
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Arrábida Shopping 7
6.
Post-industrial landscapes 8
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4.
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This document refers to a selection of works developed between 2015 and 2022, carefully designed to promote a discussion about bringing drawings to life. Some projects remain in imagination and other designs thrive, even in the most challenging contexts.
Notice: most of the projects Tomás has been working on are confidential and cannot be shared on the portfolio. However, a description can be provided if requested.
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1. Architecture Illustration International Projects
The beneficts of hand-drawn illustration are beyond communication between stakeholders. It is true that architectural illustration improves communication between local authorities, investors or the public, creating a unique image, with no need for further developments. A detailed perspective drawing takes shorter
time than a complete site model does. Digital illustration techniques have brought new drawings to life, saving time before going for further detail. For this reason, hand drawing saves time and helps making decisions throughout the design process. Focusing on the final atmosphere, without further ado, the
project team will be able to choose materials and textures. Hand drawing can also adapt easily to any changes, raising questions about how spaces will be perceived by users. After five years working as architecture illustrator, the learning process is still on. It is about blending new materials and textures, or
exploring new technologies. Later on, drawings can evolve, become three-dimensional and part of Augmented Reality experiences. There is no limits to imagination and there is space to grow.
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2. Hope for Beirut Lebanon, 2020
In 2020, Lebanon was facing a food crisis. An explosion in the port caused massive destruction all across the city and the grain silo was obliterated. This project remembers the people lost in the disaster. If the old silo ruins were preserved, the site would have became part of a sustainable landscape
scheme that involves the local community. Envisioning future possibilities is an important step for urban development, keeping in mind that the decision-making process is more complex. Thought as a starting point for discussion, this proposal includes a landscape feature of concentric waves, intertwined with
remaining elements of the port. The inner wave slopes, facing the site of the blast, are mineral, evoking the past. The outer slopes, facing the city and the port, are green, like a vision of the future, with drought-resilient vegetation from the Eastern Mediterranean region. These waves convey a sense of unity and superation, when
the city is recovering. The ongoing process will have a significant impact on the city’s image and shape, deciding what to be kept and what to change. After the grain silo was demolished, relevant questions remain. Different designs will be subject to discussion wishing that this concept will have brought hope for Beirut. 4
3. HSBC Bank Dubai United Arab Emirates, 2016
The new HSBC Bank Headquarters in Dubai were successfully built. A 20-storey tower expanded floor space from 33,000 sq m to 37,000 sq m. Tomás worked in Broadway Malyan, Lisbon Studio team for the architectural concept, including both façades & interiors. The illustrations were also part of
the design process, making sure that the finest details would work. The interior atmosphere is rich in natural stone and the ellegant glass finish creates a sense of lighness, even in the most constraint spaces. There is also a strong sense of place, created by diverse atmospheres, hence telling a story that is
kept all across the building. Both interiors and exteriors tell a story, about connected minds creating the future. The exterior façade includes a fritted glass feature, with a pattern from growing candle charts, used to account market gains. In the interior, fritted dots are about representations of a fast-changing
world: loads of information exchanged worldwide, but also, a more connected society. Such patterns were adpated for different places, in terms of scale and colour, bearing in mind the material details for each situation. The building is now part of the iconic skyline of Downtown Dubai. 5
4. Planeta Perm Russia, 2019
Sonae Sierra was commissioned by MallTech, one of the main shopping centre developers in Russia, to design what became a superregional mall in Perm Krai in Russia, Planeta Perm. MallTech and Sonae Sierra are working closely together to tackle this challenge and create value for the surrounding community.
The city of Perm is known as a gateway to the Urals, on the crossroads of Europe and Asia. With a population of 2.6 million people and a catchment area of 915,000 potential shoppers, the final agreed brief was for a centre with 83,000 sq m of GLA, 150,000 sq m of GBA, 185 stores, and 3,600 parking spaces, that opened
in April 2021. Sonae Sierra’s Conceptual Design & Architecture team always aims to meet the challenge of designing unique destinations and strenghten local identity. Earth strata ribbons link different elements across the façade length, evoking the region’s well known geological history, in the formation of Eurasia.
The intricate tree-shaped meshes also relate to the surrounding forest, with deciduous and evergreen species. The difference between rendered images and the finished façade can also be seen in the images, about how projects evolve. This is one of the main interventions that took place in the Russian market. 6
5. Arrábida Shopping Portugal, 2018
ArrábidaShopping is one of the most important retail destinations in Porto region, Northern Portugal. The building offers 60.247 sq m GLA and 171 shops. The latest refurbishment had begun in 2017, making the shopping centre more attractive for tenants and visitors alike. This refurbishment increased restroom
capacity, to respond to the growing popularity of ArrábidaShopping. The briefing for the toilet was about music, so Tomás envisioned qualizer bars that relate to the same music data files, blurring distinctions between genres, remaining closer to personal and shared music experiences. Such bars were
part of the restroom design. The icons for the music playing were also incorporated: play, pause, rewind and forward, all combined. The restrooms were successfully built in 2018, with satisfying results. On-site photos are not very different from digital illustration images that helped in the design process. This would be the
first intervention of the kind in several shopping centres. Renewing such spaces contributed to a rise in visitor satisfaction levels. To archieve that, architecture can make a difference and make retail spaces more attractive over a longer period of time, for more and more visitors. 7
6. Post-Industrial Landscapes Portugal, 2015
This research was the starting point the Master Thesis Project, which was awarded the Merit Prize by Lisbon Architecture School. Several industrial cycles were analysed. In the First Industrial revolution, monastic buildings were adapted to meet the increasing demand of industrial spaces and housing
needs. By late twentieth century, the area was losing population and the urban fabric was interrupted by disused infrastructure. Such vacant, derelict spaces are opportunities for urban regeneration. The final projet aims at reversing population decline, building new housing units for younger generations.
Special attention was given to the larger-scale industrial buildings, so that new technological activities could grow there. The integration in the surrounding urban context was the third concern, proposing a set of adjustments to ensure that the physical barriers, dividing the surrounding areas, were mitigated. This project
was exhibited in Lisbon City Council’s Centre for Urban Information. Over the following years, tech companies moved to formerly industrial buildings in Eastern Lisbon, creating well known spaces, such as Beato Creative Hub. Such trend changed the image of the city and created new opportunities. 8
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