Experimental

This rehabilitation focuses on a four-storey building in the centre of Porto, previously in an advanced state of disrepair and heavily altered from its original configuration. The intervention centred on removing the internal partitions, with the aim of maximising the penetration of natural light into the deepest areas of the building.

The new typological layout transforms the original three dwellings into four studio flats: two simplex units with varied ceiling heights, a duplex facing the street, and a penthouse on the top floor, distinguished by its full-width layout and a large central skylight.

Throughout the construction process, various originally planned solutions had to be adjusted in response to programme changes, technical constraints, and the physical limitations of the existing structure. Nevertheless, the project’s guiding principle remained intact: the creation of four generous and fluid living units, each structured around autonomous built elements – strategically placed objects that define uses and organise the habitable space without traditional compartmentalisation.