Preserving Stories Through Documentation

Over the years, civil engineer Alinto Coelho has extensively documented architectural heritage across Brazil, Portugal, Macau and India — focusing on elements that tell the story of cultural fusion, craftsmanship, and colonial history. His work spans churches, mansions, furniture, and everyday objects, helping conserve and chronicle their design legacy for future generations.

Alinto’s documentation efforts are rooted in deep fieldwork, academic research, and an intuitive understanding of architectural language. From photographing intricate woodwork to mapping elevation details, his approach is both systematic and sensitive — capturing not just the physical structure, but also the cultural narrative embedded within it.

A significant part of his work centres on heritage furniture — from intricately carved Indo-Portuguese cabinets to everyday utilitarian pieces found in ancestral homes. By studying and cataloguing furniture design, joinery, materials, and craftsmanship, Alinto helps preserve a vital yet often overlooked aspect of heritage living.

This growing archive has been referenced in heritage studies, exhibitions, and institutional dialogues. It stands as a valuable resource for architects, historians, students, and cultural organisations interested in Indo-Portuguese design, conservation techniques, and the evolution of domestic spaces across regions influenced by colonial architecture.

Brazil

During his visits to Brazil, Alinto participated in the 8th International Colloquium and showcased detailed documentation of:

Heritage churches and mansions in Goa
Colonial furniture and carpentry styles
Traditional sanitary ware and crockery
Architectural features of Goan-Portuguese influence

This body of work contributed to the cross-cultural understanding of shared architectural lineage between Goa and Brazil.

Portugal

In Portugal, Alinto engaged in the 9th International Colloquium and focused his documentation on:

Indo-Portuguese furniture is displayed in palaces, museums, and galleries
Heritage churches with architectural parallels to Goan structures
Local interpretations of colonial styles that influenced Goan design

India - Goa

Back home, Alinto has been dedicated to meticulously documenting elements of heritage architecture in Goa and similar colonial settlements like Cochin, Diu, and Daman, including:

Traditional furniture
Façade elevations and architectural detailing
False ceilings, cornices, wooden brackets and joinery techniques
Local variations in Indo-Portuguese design forms

Macau

During his ongoing research on structures in Portuguese colonies, Alinto visited Macau. He found it fascinating to see a relic of. Francis Xavier at St. Joseph's Church Macau. This relic, a bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, is preserved in the church for veneration.