This study investigates and analyses the most astute architectural practices ap-plied to the former Portuguese African territories. It begins with a historical de-scription of the first postgraduate courses in architecture for the tropical envi-ronment – one in Lisbon, Portugal [1] and another in Luanda, Angola [2] in the 1980s. These courses, which were very popular with students, brought together a highly specialised teaching staff from regions such as Cuba or the former Yu-goslavia, Germany or the United Kingdom, Brazil, Angola or Portugal. Profes-sors Otto Greger in Luanda and Ilídio do Amaral in Lisbon stand out, as do Amâncio (Pancho) Guedes and Alexandre Alves Costa. These were innovative courses, firstly because of the political context of the time, which was generally hostile to subjects that in any way transcended colonialism, especially in Portu-gal. Secondly, they deepened knowledge of the appropriate construction sys-tems to be used in the tropics. The main teaching materials included technical information, socio-geographical surveys, theoretical reflections and examples of residential construction. These postgraduate courses, as well as the local archi-tectural courses, are the starting point for a more informed analysis of the pro-fessional practice of an entire generation of architects and other technicians who worked on housing units in the former Portuguese territories, as well as in the metropolis. The fundamental aim of this text is to identify the types of knowledge that have been central to the construction of housing in Lisbon and Luanda to date, in order to reflect on the similarities and differences between them.

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Tropical Climate,Architectural Education,Housing,Lisbon,Luanda

This publication is an output of the following project(s):

• Beyond Modern Housing Heritage of Portuguese Influence, an Optimistic Architecture for Living. Comparative and Multi-Situated Perspectives on Modern Dwellings and Surroundings