Proap is a Landscape Architecture Project and Planning Partnership that was founded in 1989, in Lisbon. Its activity falls mainly upon the following fields:
- project;
- landscape planning;
- environmental evaluation;
- project/construction control;
- urban project and planning.
PROAP gathers a wide group of landscape architects, architects, designers, plastic artists, who are represented by João Nunes and Carlos Ribas. The work and research intentions of the studio have been mainly oriented according to a principle of intervention in landscape that recognizes its rules and functional mechanisms.
Its activity is mainly developed in Portugal, where its main office is located, although there are projects in development in Italy and Spain. In 2001-2002 PROAP travels around Italy with an exhibition, shown in Milano, Modena, Torino, Benevento, Salerno, Venezia and Roma, selected to represent Portugal at the 8th "Biennale di Architettura di Venezia", which assembles some of its most representative projects.
The effective internationalization begins in 2001 with the award winning project for the Forlanini Park (City Hall of Milan) and at the moment there are several ongoing projects for Spain, Italy, France, Alger and Angola. Amongst the major national projects are the EXPO'98, Lisbon (Tejo Urban Park / waterfront 90ha), the PORTO'2001 European Capital of Culture (Cordoaria Garden, a historic garden rehabilitation), and the EURO'2004, European Football Championship (New Luz Stadium Benfica SAD).
PROAP's actual structure is composed by:
- Managing partners, 2;
- Effective Personnel, 14 (landscape architects, 12; architects, 1; administrative, 1);
- Usual collaborators, 7 (accountant, 1; landscape architects, 5; administrative, 1);
- Outside collaborators, the partnership collaborates with related disciplines external offices, gathering a total of another 10 technicians.
Complementary, PROAP develops a formative and cultural interchange work, by offering young professionals, both Portuguese and international, internships, 6/8 per year.
PROAP's main facilities are located in Lisbon in a 340 square meters office.
In order to warrant the quality of the services, the partnership has a Guarantee Quality System, which defines the procedures to follow when developing the assignments; it starts with the promotion phase and continues through the development of the contracted work. This system is designed accordingly with the European Norm UNI EN ISO 9001. PROAP is working to become certificated by an accredited Organism of Certifications.
PROAP has an informatics system, based on a 20 workstations network, with an operative and integrated managing system, that controls all project documentation.
Amongst the software used the following stand out: Autodesk AUTOCAD 2007; Autodesk LANDCADD; Sivandesign CIVILCAD 2000; Adobe PHOTOSHOP; Adobe ACROBAT.
The general coordinator of the studio is João Nunes, born in Lisbon in 1960.
Degree in Landscape Architecture from "Instituto Superior de Agronomia da Universidade Técnica de Lisboa", Master in Landscape Architecture from 'Escuela Tècnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcellona, Universitá Politecnica di Catalunya'.
João Nunes teaches at the same Institute where he graduated, he is professor of Environmental Project at the Degree in Landscape, Urban and Environmental Planning from the "Universitá degli Studi di Sassari, Facoltà di Architectura di Alghero", professor of Project at the Graduate Course of Architecture - Landscape Architecture at the IUAV, "Universitá di Venezia", and extended his didactic activity as a lecturer in seminaries at various schools, as Harvard, "Universitá di Girona", "Escuela Tècnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona", "Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia", "Politecnico di Milano", "Politecnico di Torino", "Roma - La Sapienza", "Roma Ludovico Quaroni", and the "Facoltà di Architettura di Napoli".
