The present investigation examined the appraisal of lighting quality. The literature review related to research on lighting quality that was performed in the investigation indicated that the methodology used in that research seemed to present some limitations that could have influenced its outcomes. Literature concerned with research on environmental psychology (which examined the appraisal of environmental quality) was also reviewed in the investigation and this showed that studies in that area appeared to share some of the main problems identified on studies concerned with lighting quality. Therefore, the investigation proposed a different methodology for the study of the appraisal of the appearance of lit environments. The investigation performed case studies on existing buildings. The setting of the investigation was Portuguese architecture under clear skies. Six buildings were selected for the case studies. These buildings displayed a variety of scenes, representing the full scope of environments encountered in Portuguese architecture. Data collection in the investigation comprised interviews, observations, photographic records and photometric measurements. The results obtained were observers' appraisals about the appearance of light, space, objects and people and, information regarding the lit scenes and the spaces. Observers' subjective impressions were gathered using a set of new tools that included both verbal and graphic tools. The analysis and discussion of results followed strategies suited for qualitative analysis. Comparisons between subjective and objective data were performed in order to gain meaning from the evidence collected. Findings showed that visual information created by lighting seemed to induce on observers diversified opinions about the appearance of the lit environments examined. Such findings confirmed that the methodology employed in previous studies into lighting quality had indeed some limitations and also showed that the methodology proposed by the investigation required refinement so to be increasingly successful in examining the appraisal of lighting quality.

Cultural identity is an issue that has concerned Portuguese artistic thought in a subliminal way ever since the end of the XIX century, with influences in architecture. Raul Lino, at the beginning of the last Century, was one of those who tried in a conscious manner, to tackle this problem both at the practical and theoretical level. Nevertheless, he never lived to see the real meaning of his proposal fully understood, not even after the retrospective of his work in the 1970 Exhibition in Lisbon. The intention behind this "Letter" is to give continuity to the perspective first formulated by him, starting from the analysis of one of the most significant accomplishments in the history of the Portuguese architecture, the INQUERITO into vernacular architecture. Having guaranteed the importance of cultural identity versus architecture as the driving force of the research, via the testimonies given by a host of relevant personalities in Portuguese cultural life, and evaluated the antecedents and convergences of the identity issue, the research field was defined as well as the methodology. This is based on a qualitative model which rendered the investigation viable, enabling the echoes of the INQUERITO to be appreciated in the architecture of the 1960s. The INQUERITO is therefore the subject of analysis and evaluation, as an instrument of research into the unique Portuguese vernacular architecture. The erudite architecture of its "protagonists" is also evaluated using similar criteria to assess the concerns with identity issue, mostly of a qualitative nature, as a corollary to the sensitivity side of the same issue. Finally, the importance of the identity perspective gave rise to an attempt at projecting the findings onto the teaching of architecture, so as to improve on the necessary humanization of relationships between real places and all their actors.