Daciano da Costa

Architect

"Daciano da Costa was one of the protagonists in the process of defining Interior Architecture as an autonomous discipline, established in a close and organic relationship with the Architecture project and replacing the so-called “interior decoration.”
João Paulo Martins.

Daciano da Costa

Architect

1960´s to 1980´s years

Opened his own atelier

In 1959, he opened his own atelier where he developed activities in the field of interior architecture, industrial and design exhibitions. "Daciano da Costa was one of the protagonists in the process of defining Interior Architecture as an autonomous discipline, established in a close and organic relationship with the Architecture project and replacing the so-called “decoration”, added João Paulo Martins.

In 1961, he began a collaboration with Metalúrgica da Longra, which was to last for more than thirty years, being "one of the most productive experiences of the relation of the national industry with design". Daciano da Costa joined the Department of Architecture at the Superior School of Fine Arts in Lisbon in 1977 and remained in that school after its transformation to the so-called Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon.

In 1977, he began to work as a visiting professor at the Department of Architecture of the Superior School of Fine Arts in Lisbon, now Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon, and was nominated in 1992 Professor of the Department of Art and Design of the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon in 1992. In 2002, he was the scientific coordinator of the first Master's Degree in Design of the Faculty of Architecture.

Years 90 and follow

Started and directed the first Degree in Design Architecture

In the teaching of Architecture in Portugal, the practices introduced by Frederico George, and later developed by Daciano da Costa, also reinforce the importance of the craft regarding the teaching of Drawing.

In 1992, he started and directed the first Degree in Design Architecture, at the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Lisbon, where he taught until retiring in 2003. In 2004, he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University, for the contribution of his work in favor of the Design development in Portugal. The previous year he had received an equal distinction by the University of Aveiro.

In 2001, the National Society of Fine Arts awarded him the medal for members with more relevance in the life of the institution, and the Portuguese section of the International Association of Art Critics awarded him with the annual prize for Architecture.

The Order of Architects named him honorary member in 2002, the year before the President of the Republic had imposed on him the insignia of Commander of the Order of Infante D.Henrique, an award that unifies with the one of Great Officer of the Order of Merit, received in 1995.

In 2003, the General Direction of National Buildings and Monuments integrated a substantial part of Daciano da Costa's archive, consisting of sketches, technical drawings, and models resulting from his design project activity until 1994.