The idyllic unspoiled beauty of the Azores was the inspiration for a design project of the Portugese firm of architects, Aires Mateus and associates. The two year project at Lagoa da Furnas, Portugal, covers an area of 1130m2, was completed in 2010 for clients, SPRAcores.

 The largest structure of the group of buildings by a lagoon is the most spectacular of the group and houses the Furnas Monitoring and Investigation Centre. The form and scale of the building follows the topography of the landscape and takes elements from the traditional structures on the island. The building appears to have been a solid block out of which access points have been cut and internal courtyards and internal spaces have been carved. The interior of the building is visible from the courtyard which creates a harmonious continuity between the two. Local basalt stone has been used on the exterior of the building which allows its simple lines to cordially integrate with the natural beauty of its surroundings.

The smaller building, intended as temporary accommodation for the researchers to the centre, has solid external walls with four internal separations constructed of timber. The varying levels of the separations have been designed to take advantage of the exposure to sunlight, facilitating maximum natural illumination of the interior.