Mario and Nuno do Rosario are the principals of arquitectura e planeamento limitada, a family owned design practice in Maputo, Mozambique, focusing on sustainable, cost-controlled, durable and energy-efficient design processes.
In their work, the two favor technologies that can be taught to local communities to allow investment to trickle down even before the completed project becomes a benefit. by respecting local workforce and training whatever skills are lacking in the community, using local materials that communities can supply, their process works to create benefits.
After Mozambican Independence, Mario was retained by the new independent national government to help lead the new country. In the forty years since, he and his son (Nuno) have developed a practice that stretches into the farthest and most remote regions of Mozambique.
Notably, their work stands apart from many of the international development efforts deployed in Africa. They emphasize lasting solutions. They look to create buildings and communities that can self-sustain and no longer be in need of outside assistance. This eradicates the enduring post-colonial model that sets African communities in a position of ongoing dependence on Western charity.
