press and enquiries

info@studiower.com

+351 22 010 8094, ext. 319

R. de Paulo da Gama, 629  Sala 3.4 4169-006 | Porto | Portugal

WER is an architecture and design studio born in London and now based in Portugal, developing projects across the country with a particular focus on Porto and Comporta.
The studio works across residential, hospitality and commercial projects, creating spaces that are visually distinctive while remaining deeply connected to the way they are experienced, inhabited and used.
Marina founded WER after years of experience working on high-end projects across Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom and Portugal. Her experience spans the full development of a project, from its architectural foundations and construction through to interiors, detailing and final finishes. Following previous ventures together in the technology and retail sectors, Luiza joined WER as the studio established its base in Porto. Bringing a strong perspective on image, creative direction and people, she expanded the studio’s approach beyond the physical space itself and into the way projects are communicated, perceived and experienced.

As sisters, Marina and Luiza share a long-standing creative dialogue that has developed naturally across different disciplines and projects. Today, this complementary perspective shapes WER’s identity, combining architectural rigour with a strong sensitivity to interiors, image, atmosphere and the human experience of space. WER’s work is defined by the principles of modernist and clean architecture, balanced by the warmth of natural materials, heritage, local culture and a strong sensitivity to context. The studio works intrinsically from the inside out, considering architecture, interiors and user experience as part of the same design process.

This integrated approach allows architecture to respond closely to how a space is used, felt and inhabited, with particular attention to comfort, proportion and atmosphere.
WER seeks a sense of sophisticated simplicity: spaces that feel refined without being overly formal, and where comfort has a direct influence on the way people experience them. Whether designing a private residence, hospitality project or commercial space, the studio believes that design should respond naturally to contemporary lifestyles, offer creative and intelligent solutions, and remain aesthetically enduring.

Marina Werfel. Graduate of architecture from Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo and worked for 8 years at Studio Arthur Casas as Coordinator of residential projects and Head manager for international projects in New York, with projects around the United States, China and Brazil. In London Marina worked with Charles Barclay Architects on private residences before starting WER.