Photography as a cognitive instrument for (re)discovering architectural and social realities

This essay presents the pedagogical approach to photography at FAUP, where teaching is closely aligned with research, fostering students’ critical, independent thought and ability to articulate it through photographic narratives. The projects address architectural and social realities, engaging with political, economic, and cultural contexts while balancing realism and abstraction. Parque Residencial da Boavista reinterprets Porto’s 1970s housing through Italo Calvino’s fictional city of Valdrada, blending influences from Hanzlová and Gursky. Identity explores the São João de Deus neighbourhood through walking as a method of inquiry, evoking influences from the Düsseldorf school and Wim Wenders. Decoupage examines Bom Sucesso’s human presence, echoing Aalto’s humanism and Ribeiro’s focus on lived space. Transições reflects on Siza’s Bouça neighbourhood, integrating architecture, light, and everyday life. Collectively, these projects reveal photography as a cognitive tool for (re)discovering urban and social realities. Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto