Firm
HMS is an emerging practice based in Anadia – Portugal founded by Hélio Santos, established on the pursuit of excellence in both Architecture and Urban Design. Committed to maintain a global presence, the practice encompasses full architecture and urban design for clients in both the public and private sectors. Prior to his own practice, Hélio Santos worked in offices in New York and Philadelphia, USA as an architect and Urban Designer over several years. In recent years he worked in offices in Portugal. As architects, we design residential, retail, mixed-use, industrial and rehabilitation,  to be in context with their environment, to be functionally and aesthetically innovative, economically sensible, elegantly executed, energy sensitive and most importantly a delight to the user. As urban designers, we believe in refilling and revitalizing inner cities, densifying the suburbs, and designing responsible green communities. When new neighborhoods and campuses are created, they must contribute to the cities and towns of which they are a part, culturally, physically, socially, and economically.

Staff
We have acquired experience nationally/internationally, it provides the understanding of the culture and context of those places that is essential to any design. We have an entrepreneurial culture that is organized around our clients allowing everyone to benefit from outstanding performance. A single integrated team works on the project through all phases until completion of construction. Team members sit together in open plan spaces. The firm has no closed doors.

Philosophy
We believe in understanding context, in letting the nature and culture of a site inform process and decision. As designers we remain local, spend time with a site, and interact with its people. The creativity of our design comes from both attachment to place and freedom of ideas. One must complement, not replace what exists. Design carries the responsibility of knowing the structure of a site and its surroundings, understanding its tradition and materials, and combining them in ways that extend use and life. We pride ourselves on the ability to listen, analyze and engage each client in the process. The goal of our work is to meet the challenges to the highest achievable level of excellence in providing outstanding environments for clients and the public. The most elegant architectural responses are both technically and socially relevant to their time and place and so we create places that enhance the quality of work and life.