ERC-ArchLabour
Architecture, Colonialism and Labour. The role and legacy of mass labour in the design, planning and construction of Public Works in former African territories under Portuguese colonial rule
Description

The discipline of architecture, when dealing with Public Works associated with colonialism and territorial occupation, still focuses on the analysis of the constitution of the design teams, of the colonial Public Works offices, of the architects and engineers themselves. This focus on the “designing elite” misses a critical input to these Public Works, namely the Labour force responsible for realising these structures. As such, critical questions about the labour force engaged in the spatialization of architectural plans are still missing: who were those workers? What ethnic groups did they come from? How did they emerge in contingents that could aggregate a few thousand individuals? What was their recruitment like? What expectations did they have? How were they paid? What training did they receive? What repercussions did these (mostly compulsive) work experiences have? What conflicts did they provoke in colonial societies? How did they resist recruitment? How did they collaborate? How to deal with this legacy? In answer, ArchLabour will develop a new theoretical framework for assessing mass labour in order to shine a spotlight on these invisible workers, thus establishing a connection between historical subalternity and the inequality that still haunts communities inheriting this past. Through the study of the diverse colonial experiences of the African countries that have Portuguese as one of their official languages (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Principe, Angola and Mozambique), and covering a wide period from the modern colonization that begins after the Berlin Conference through the industrial capitalism’s exploitation praxis up to the years immediately following African independence, the project will cross the history of colonial architecture and the subject of Labour, with the history of Science applied to construction and post-colonial studies in architecture.

Internal Partners
Research Centre Research Group Role in Project Begin Date End Date
DINAMIA'CET-Iscte Cities and Territories Leader 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
External Partners

No records found.

Project Team
Name Affiliation Role in Project Begin Date End Date
Ana Vaz Milheiro Investigadora Coordenadora (DAU); Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Global Coordinator 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Beatriz Serrazina Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Filipa Lopes Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2025-07-07 2028-12-31
Filipa Fiúza Research Assistant (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Francesca Vita Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Inês Lima Rodrigues Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Leonor Matos Silva Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Patricia Noormahomed Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Sónia Pereira Henrique Integrated Researcher (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Researcher 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Filipe Carmo Research Assistant (DINAMIA'CET-Iscte); Research Assistant 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Project Fundings
Reference/Code Funding DOI Funding Type Funding Program Funding Amount (Global) Funding Amount (Local) Begin Date End Date
101096606 10.3030/101096606 Scholarship European Commission - European Commission - ERC - Belgium 2499996 2499996 2024-01-01 2028-12-31
Publication Outputs
Year Publication Type Full Reference
2025 Scientific journal paper Serrazina, B. (2025). A habitação para trabalhadores na concessão da Diamang: Modelos, materiais e contestação no colonialismo Português. Revista de História das Ideias. 43, 239-268
2025 Book author Milheiro, A. V. & Silva, L. M. (2025). Nove Arquitectas em África (coord. Patrícia Santos Pedrosa e Natália Fávero) (forthcoming). Lisbon. Público .
2025 Book editor Milheiro, A. V. (2025). Colonial and post-colonial landscapes I – Architectures, cities, infrastructures in Africa: Coast to coast researchers’ book. DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte.
2025 Book chapter Serrazina, B. (2025). On building Empires: colonial companies, spatial planning and the circulation of knowledge. In Alice Santiago Faria, Renata Malcher de Araújo, Margarida Tavares da Conceição (Ed.), Technical and Scientific Training in the Construction of Empires. On the quest of Learning Places. New York: Routledge.
2025 Book chapter Serrazina, B. (2025). Building the fringes of Empire: mining companies, transnational experts, race and space in colonial Africa. In Felipe Hernández, Itohan Osayimwese (Ed.), Routledge Critical Companion to Race and Architecture. (pp. 356-369). Londres: Routledge.
2025 Book chapter Henrique, S. P. (2025). A key to Portuguese colonial Public Works records: the copybooks of correspondence of the Direção-Geral do Ultramar, 1880-1910. In Milheiro, Ana Vaz (Ed.), Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes I – Architectures, Cities, Infrastructures in Africa. Coast to Coast Researchers’ book. (pp. 143-160). Porto: JackBackPac.
2025 Publication in conference proceedings Henrique, S. P. (2025). Disseminating and accessing colonial records: Exploring the Portuguese public works database. In Ana Vaz Milheiro, Beatriz Serrazina (Ed.), II International Congress on Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes: Architecture, Colonialism and War: Papers’ booklet. (pp. 11-34). Lisboa: ISCTE-IUL.
2025 Conference proceedings editor Milheiro, A. V. & Serrazina, B. (2025). Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes: Architecture, Colonialism and War. Papers’ Booklet. Lisboa. Dinâmia'CET-Iscte.
2025 Talk Serrazina, B. (2025). Building the Benguela Railway: laborers and construction skills . Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) International Conference.
2025 Talk Serrazina, B. (2025). Mining Labor, Housing and Building Sites in Late Colonialism across Central Africa. International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE) Conference.
2025 Talk Henrique, S. P. (2025). The digitisation of shared archival heritage: a strategy for locating and accessing the Portuguese Public Works records in Africa. 12º Congreso Ibérico de Estudios Africanos - Respuestas africanas al dilema decolonial. Barcelona. Spain.
2025 Talk Henrique, S. P. (2025). Os arquivos históricos de Obras Públicas (1875-1975) – tratamento documental e desafios encontrados no Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino em Lisboa. 3ª Conferência de Engenharia e Arquitetura da Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Agostinho Neto. Luanda. Angola.
2025 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Serrazina, B. (2025). A 'Não-Simultaneidade' nas Construções Coloniais: O Caso da Barragem das Mabubas, Angola. 3ª Conferência de Engenharia e Arquitectura da Faculdade de Engenharia da UAN.
2025 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Silva, Leonor Matos (2025). A "Casa do Cacuaco" de Antonieta Jacinto (1957-1964): Protótipos e Réplicas na Região de Luanda . III Conferência de Engenharia e Arquitectura da Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade Agostinho Neto.
2025 Talk Silva, Leonor Matos & Milheiro, A. V. (2025). Women in Southern European Architecture Syllabi: Contributions Toward Fostering Gender Inclusion . ACSA 113 ANNUAL MEETING.
2025 Paper in press Milheiro, A. V. & Rodrigues, Inês Lima (2025). “'Neighbourhood Units' in colonial Africa: controlling the musseque through an urban model from the Global North” . Middle-Class Mass Housing: European Stories. Vol. 3: Social recompositions of Mass Housing. 3
2025 Paper in press Milheiro, A. V. & Rodrigues, Inês Lima (2025). Neighbourhood Units” in colonial Africa: controlling the musseque through models from the Global North. Lieux Et Enjeux III – Social Recompositions Of Mass Housing, European Stories.
2025 Paper in press Milheiro, A. V. (2025). Maria Emilia Caria, a colonial urban planner in a territory of hunger and drought (1962-1975). 5º CIHEL - Congresso Internacional da Habitação no Espaço Lusófono.
2024 Scientific journal paper Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Wartime residential rural landscapes the Guinea-Bissau case during the colonial/liberation war with the Portuguese (1963–1974) . Cogent Arts and Humanities. 11 (1)
2024 Scientific journal paper Serrazina, B. (2024). Urban policies, architectural dissonances, and not so ‘modern’ buildings in late colonial Luanda. e-journal of Portuguese History. 22 (2), 234-265
2024 Book chapter Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Modern tropical interiors in Africa: Carlota Quintanilha’s training and practice (1944–1966). In Ana Tostões, Zara Ferreira (Ed.), Modernist women interior designers and artists. (pp. 142-153).: Docomomo Portugal.
2024 Publication in conference proceedings Rodrigues, I. L. & Vita, F. (2024). Large construction companies in the widespread of modern housing: A comparative analysis between Lisbon and Luanda. In Stefan Holzer, Silke Langenberg, Clemens Knobling, Orkun Kasap (Ed.), Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on Construction History. (pp. 439-446). Zurique: Vdf Hochschulverlag.
2024 Publication in conference proceedings Serrazina, B. (2024). “Model” workers’ villages?: Company rule and adobe-brick houses in late colonial Africa. In Stefan Holzer, Silke Langenberg, Clemens Knobling, Orkun Kasap (Ed.), Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on Construction History. (pp. 1216-1222). Zurique: Vdf Hochschulverlag.
2024 Publication in conference proceedings Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Narratives on women architects in former Africa colonised by Portuguese rule: Professional profiles based on training practices . In Eva M. Álvarez Isidro, Carlos J. Gómez Alfonso (Ed.), Proceedings ICAG2023 - VI International Conference on Architecture and Gender. (pp. 480-498).: Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València.
2024 Publication in conference proceedings Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Women, colonialism and building sites: Gender experiences in former African territories ruled by the Portuguese through colonial archives. In Stefan Holzer, Silke Langenberg, Clemens Knobling, Orkun Kasap (Ed.), Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on Construction History. (pp. 1239-1244).: vdf Hochschulverlag.
2024 Publication in conference proceedings Milheiro, A. V. & Silva, L. M. (2024). Between the musseque and the neighbourhood unit: Spotting "compagnons de route" architectures in Luanda (1961-1975). In Horacio Torrent (Ed.), Modern futures. Sustainable development and cultural diversity: 18ª Conferencia Internacional Docomomo. Santiago: Ediciones ARQ.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Serrazina, B. (2024). Building from non-simultaneities: Mabubas Dam, Angola. SAH Albuquerque 2024.
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. (2024). Colonial labour housing: a ‘propaganda’ tool?. 9th International Conference of the European Architectural History Network (EAHN).
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. (2024). "Model" workers’ villages? Company rule and adobe-brick houses in late colonial Africa. 8th International Congress on Construction History (ICCH).
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. (2024). Imperial companies and railways between Angola and Belgian Congo, 1910-1930. T2M Annual Conference, Mobilities and Infrastructures: Transitions and Transformations.
2024 Talk Henrique, S. P. (2024). Unravelling colonial infrastructure legal framework - the Benguela railway. International Workshop Intertwining Architectural History with Legal History. Coimbra. Portugal.
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. (2024). Workers’ neighborhoods, welfare and architecture in late colonial Angola. Swiss Researching Africa Days.
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. & Vita, F. (2024). The neighbourhood. A research site for questioning the multiple agendas of colonial housing. Housing production in times of conflict (Lieux et Enjeux #1 2024/25).
2024 Talk Serrazina, B. (2024). Building Empire: Everyday Architecture of a Mining Concession in Colonial Angola. Building Empire: Everyday Architecture of a Mining Concession in Colonial Angola.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V., Serrazina, B. & Rodrigues, Inês Lima (2024). Architecture for children: colonial architects, climate design and enduring nursery buildings (1957-1964). 18th Docomomo International Congress, Modern Sustainable Development and Cultural Diversity Futures.
2024 Talk Henrique, S. P. (2024). The recruitment process of coolies for construction work on the Benguela railway - legal framework and labour force. UNIDCOM/IADE | Unlikely Dialogues - International Congress on Past and Present Slaveries. Lisbon. Portugal.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Silva, Leonor Matos (2024). Between the musseque and the Neighbourhood Unit: spotting “compagnons de route” architectures in Luanda (1961-1975). 18th International Docomomo Conference.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Fiúza, F. (2024). Infrastructures + Labour + War, Investigação pelo colectivo A+I. Colonial and Post-Colonial Landscapes.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). EAHN Interest Group on Housing. European Architectural Association Network (EAHN) 8th International Conference.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). (Notes on) Housing for the Underprivileged. RE-DWELL Conference: Sustainable living, affordable homes.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. & Fiúza, F. (2024). Housing framing rural and peri-urban landscapes during the liberation wars: Portuguese Colonial Agencies and the role of architects (1961-1974). Housing production in times of conflict / Production de logements en tempsde conflict / Produção de habitação em tempos de conflito.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Maria Emilia Caria, a colonial urban planner in a territory of hunger and drought (1962-1975). 5º CIHEL - Congresso Internacional da Habitação no Espaço Lusófono.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). From school to practice: female architects on housing. Antonieta Jacinto’s “Cacuaco House”, Angola (1957-1964). SAH Virtual, Research on Women Architects in Portuguese (Post-)Colonial Africa.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Modern Tropical Interiors in Africa. Carlota Quintanilha's training and practice (1944-1966). Docomomo ISC/ID Conference.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Confessions on a construction site. Comparative histories of gender-based work during the former 'Portuguese Empire. Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE).
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). GENDER STRUGGLES IN ARCHITECTURE, COLONIALISM AND HOUSING. Seminar “Gender struggles in architecture, colonialism and housing”.
2024 Talk Silva, Leonor Matos & Henrique, S. P. (2024). Architectural archives’ struggle: housing, war and gender in a colonial context. CRHLAVUE, Lieux et Enjeux #1 (2024/2025), Housing production in times of conflict. Paris. France.
2024 Talk Rodrigues, Inês Lima & Vita, F. (2024). Large construction companies in the widespread of modern housing. A comparative analysis between Lisbon and Luanda. 8th International Congress on Construction History.
2024 Talk Milheiro, A. V. (2024). Women, colonialism and building sites. Gender experiences in former African territories ruled by the Portuguese through colonial archives. 8th International Congress on Construction History.
Related Research Data Records

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Related References in the Media

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Other Outputs

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Project Files
File Type Description File Size
Data management plan ArchLabour_Research_Data_DMP_2024_10_15.pdf 234 KB

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Architecture, Colonialism and Labour. The role and legacy of mass labour in the design, planning and construction of Public Works in former African territories under Portuguese colonial rule
2024-01-01
2028-12-31