The Nuno Portas Centre for Studies was established in 1994, at the time as the Center for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism, and it statutorily comprises the R&D Center of Architecture School of the University of Porto, integrating, also, a Research & Development Unit (EAT-North-145) funded and assessed by the Foundation of Science and Technology (FCT).

CENP includes a total of 216 researchers, 85 Integrated Researchers (Ph.D.). Most of the non-doctoral members attend the Doctoral Programme in Architecture at FAUP, developing their thesis in connection with the Center for Studies ongoing research projects.

CENP is also deeply committed to the development of international relations, taking part in several university and cooperation networks.

Following this policy, CENP also hosts, for periods of varying lengths, postdoc fellows and Ph.D. students from different international institutions, mainly from European and South American countries.

Although Architecture remains the main disciplinary area, CENP also includes, among its integrated and associate members, researchers from other fields such as Anthropology, Archaeology, Economics, Engineering, Geography, History and Sociology.

In order to develop its activity, CENP is structured into seven research groups, namely:

• Architecture: Theory, Project and History (ATPH)
• Architecture, Art and Image (AAI)
• Architecture and modes of inhabiting (AMH)
• Housing architectural design and forms of dwelling (AdC)
• Digital Fabrication Laboratory (DFL)
• Territory Dynamics and Morphologies (MDT)
• Architecture, City and Territory Heritage (PACT)
• Theory and Project Practices (T2P)

CENP research activity has been supported by FCT funding projects as well as by contracts established with other public and private institutions.

Besides books publication, papers in journals and conferences, etc., the research activity of the Center also includes the organization of national and international workshops, seminars, conferences, and other scientific events, in order to disseminate the results of the work developed at CENP.

Permanent External Advisory Board:

Professora Doutora Ana Tostões (Instituto Superior Técnico Lisboa);
Professor Doutor Franz Graf (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne);
Professor Doutor Vitor Manuel Guimarães Veríssimo Serrão (Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa).