Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The latest edition of the Architecture Hunter Webinar Series brings together Rodrigo Vilas Boas, Partner at OODA Architecture, and Alex Thomas, Regional Design Director for Sports & Entertainment and Principal at HKS, for a conversation on sports architecture as a space of culture, performance, and identity. Titled Fields of Culture: Sports, Space & Identity, the session explores how sports venues can shape not only the way we experience games, but also how we gather, move through cities, and connect with places.
Through projects developed across different geographies and scales, Rodrigo Vilas Boas presents OODA’s approach to sports architecture, exploring how these buildings can respond to complex performance requirements while becoming active parts of urban and social life. From the Liga Portugal Headquarters in Porto to the Al Nassr training center in Riyadh and the stadium vision for Korçë, Albania, the discussion reveals how sports infrastructure can move beyond the idea of isolated monuments and become catalysts for community, landscape, and territorial transformation.
The conversation expands with Alex Thomas and HKS’s global experience in sports and entertainment, highlighting the intersection between architecture, athletes, fans, cities, and collective memory. Together, the speakers explore how the next generation of sports spaces can become more open, connected, and meaningful — places where performance meets culture and where architecture becomes part of the identity of a community.
Subscribe to be notified about future webinars:
architecturehunter.com/webinars
Video Index
00:00 Introduction
01:53 Rodrigo Vilas Boas
39:25 Q&A Rodrigo Vilas Boas
48:16 Alex Thomas
01:15:33 Q&A Alex Thomas
01:24:48 Closing
Speakers:
Rodrigo Vilas Boas [Partner at OODA Architecture]
Rodrigo Vilas-Boas received his Master in Architecture from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Lusíada, Porto, in 2005, completing with an Academic Internship at Álvaro Leite Siza Vieira. Before founding OODA, Rodrigo worked as an architect at OMA / Rem Koolhaas office in Rotterdam and previously at MVentura & Associados Arquitectos, in Porto. Frequently invited to lecture in Portugal and abroad, in 2023 Rodrigo participated in the international ‘Symposium on Renewable Energies Sustainable Architecture’ that took place in Galiza, Spain.
Alex Thomas [Regional Design Director, Sports & Entertainment and a Principal at HKS]
Alex Thomas is an architect and sports venue specialist at HKS, where he leads the London sports studio and contributes to the direction of the firm’s global Sports & Entertainment portfolio. His work operates across design, strategy, and delivery, shaping complex venues worldwide. Since 2012, Alex has played a key role in expanding HKS’s sports and entertainment work beyond the United States, working across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Advising both public and private clients, he brings a perspective grounded in the interplay between global expertise and local cultural context. His portfolio includes Royal Arena Copenhagen, Optus Stadium Perth, and Cosm venues in Los Angeles and Dallas—projects that demonstrate a focus on experience, performance, and integration within the city. In parallel, he contributes to design thinking across HKS’s global practice, connecting teams and influencing projects through collaboration and review. He is currently leading the Arena at Diriyah in Riyadh, an iconic project that reflects the next generation of sports and entertainment venues. As part of the leadership of HKS’s Sports & Entertainment group, he also helps shape the practice’s direction and growth. For Alex, venues are no longer just places to watch events, but platforms for experience, identity, and long-term value—reflecting the evolving role of sports and entertainment in cities worldwide.
Get to know other popular webinars:
Re:Design: Rethinking Existing Spaces with Johanne Dahl Holmsberg & Claes Nilsson [Architects at COBE] and Alborz Mohammadi [Chief Architect at Bofill Taller de Arquitectura]: youtu.be/GFgb2nltHig
Beyond Aesthetics: Wellness in the Built Environment with Koichi Takada [Principal at Koichi Takada Architects] & Sanjay Puri [Principal Architect at Sanjay Puri Architects]: youtu.be/1Cv3XOkMmjw
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The latest edition of the Architecture Hunter Webinar Series brings together Rodrigo Vilas Boas, Partner at OODA Architecture, and Alex Thomas, Regional Design Director for Sports & Entertainment and Principal at HKS, for a conversation on sports architecture as a space of culture, performance, and identity. Titled Fields of Culture: Sports, Space & Identity, the session explores how sports venues can shape not only the way we experience games, but also how we gather, move through cities, and connect with places.
Through projects developed across different geographies and scales, Rodrigo Vilas Boas presents OODA’s approach to sports architecture, exploring how these buildings can respond to complex performance requirements while becoming active parts of urban and social life. From the Liga Portugal Headquarters in Porto to the Al Nassr training center in Riyadh and the stadium vision for Korçë, Albania, the discussion reveals how sports infrastructure can move beyond the idea of isolated monuments and become catalysts for community, landscape, and territorial transformation.
The conversation expands with Alex Thomas and HKS’s global experience in sports and entertainment, highlighting the intersection between architecture, athletes, fans, cities, and collective memory. Together, the speakers explore how the next generation of sports spaces can become more open, connected, and meaningful — places where performance meets culture and where architecture becomes part of the identity of a community.
Subscribe to be notified about future webinars:
architecturehunter.com/webinars
Video Index
00:00 Introduction
01:53 Rodrigo Vilas Boas
39:25 Q&A Rodrigo Vilas Boas
48:16 Alex Thomas
01:15:33 Q&A Alex Thomas
01:24:48 Closing
Speakers:
Rodrigo Vilas Boas [Partner at OODA Architecture]
Rodrigo Vilas-Boas received his Master in Architecture from Faculdade de Arquitectura da Universidade Lusíada, Porto, in 2005, completing with an Academic Internship at Álvaro Leite Siza Vieira. Before founding OODA, Rodrigo worked as an architect at OMA / Rem Koolhaas office in Rotterdam and previously at MVentura & Associados Arquitectos, in Porto. Frequently invited to lecture in Portugal and abroad, in 2023 Rodrigo participated in the international ‘Symposium on Renewable Energies Sustainable Architecture’ that took place in Galiza, Spain.
Alex Thomas [Regional Design Director, Sports & Entertainment and a Principal at HKS]
Alex Thomas is an architect and sports venue specialist at HKS, where he leads the London sports studio and contributes to the direction of the firm’s global Sports & Entertainment portfolio. His work operates across design, strategy, and delivery, shaping complex venues worldwide. Since 2012, Alex has played a key role in expanding HKS’s sports and entertainment work beyond the United States, working across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Advising both public and private clients, he brings a perspective grounded in the interplay between global expertise and local cultural context. His portfolio includes Royal Arena Copenhagen, Optus Stadium Perth, and Cosm venues in Los Angeles and Dallas—projects that demonstrate a focus on experience, performance, and integration within the city. In parallel, he contributes to design thinking across HKS’s global practice, connecting teams and influencing projects through collaboration and review. He is currently leading the Arena at Diriyah in Riyadh, an iconic project that reflects the next generation of sports and entertainment venues. As part of the leadership of HKS’s Sports & Entertainment group, he also helps shape the practice’s direction and growth. For Alex, venues are no longer just places to watch events, but platforms for experience, identity, and long-term value—reflecting the evolving role of sports and entertainment in cities worldwide.
Get to know other popular webinars:
Re:Design: Rethinking Existing Spaces with Johanne Dahl Holmsberg & Claes Nilsson [Architects at COBE] and Alborz Mohammadi [Chief Architect at Bofill Taller de Arquitectura]: youtu.be/GFgb2nltHig
Beyond Aesthetics: Wellness in the Built Environment with Koichi Takada [Principal at Koichi Takada Architects] & Sanjay Puri [Principal Architect at Sanjay Puri Architects]: youtu.be/1Cv3XOkMmjw
Hunt, Watch and Read
Website: architecturehunter.com
Instagram: instagram.com/architecture_hunter
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/architecturehunter
TikTok: tiktok.com/@archihunters
Pinterest: br.pinterest.com/architecture_hunter
Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/31rpvbv5iupkrb7sx6qmcmf4wx2q
