Summary develops prefabricated solutions for public housing

Architecture studio SUMMARY, a graduate company of UPTEC – Science and Technology Park of the University of Porto, is developing modular and prefabricated housing projects that offer a faster response to Portugal’s housing shortage, at a time when the country’s public housing stock remains among the lowest in Europe (2%, compared to the European average of 8%, according to the OECD).

The studio’s solutions are already being implemented in several municipalities. Construction is currently underway in Oeiras, where 62 homes are being built, and in Vale de Cambra, where a further 20 homes are under development.

Compared to traditional construction methods, the use of prefabricated components can reduce construction time by up to half. “In the case of Politeira, in Oeiras, construction began in October 2025 and will be completed before October 2026. In other words, 14 homes are being built in less than a year,” says Samuel Gonçalves, architect and director of SUMMARY.

Across the 82 public housing units currently under construction, the SUMMARY team has adopted different materials depending on the project: reinforced concrete in Vale de Cambra, timber in the Politeira neighbourhood in Oeiras, and steel in São Marçal, also in the municipality of Oeiras. The latter, a five-storey development with 48 homes, is the largest residential complex in Portugal to be built using the Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method.

The building modules are manufactured entirely in Portuguese factories, including much of the interior and exterior finishes, windows, joinery, and bathroom fittings. This enables rapid on-site assembly while reducing construction waste and minimising disruption to local communities, with less dust, noise and traffic restrictions. “We should not have to choose between building quickly and building well,” adds Samuel Gonçalves. “It is entirely possible to design projects that incorporate prefabrication for most components, ensuring high-quality standards while significantly shortening construction times.”