F145 Building Rehabilitation | Firmeza
Client: Real Estate Developer
Area: 411.02 m2
Team: Eng Armanda Santos, Adesus Lda
Construction: to be defined
Contractualization: 2024
[On license]
The proposal to renovate a building on Rua da Firmeza is based on a precise reading of the surrounding urban morphology. The existing building, with a recessed floor in disharmony with the neighboring height, is reformulated by regularizing the volume, guaranteeing the continuity of the façade’s alignment with the adjacent buildings.
This gesture not only increases the usable area, but also significantly improves the reading of the urban front. The new volume is formally integrated into the pre-existing fabric, with a discreet and coherent language.
The intervention is restrained: it respects the scale of the street, recovers the identity of the original building and updates its functionality without resorting to disruptive solutions. The sketch shows this strategy – an exercise in volumetric fine-tuning and constructive integration with a direct impact on housing quality and asset valuation.
The Matter of Time: rehabilitating
Rehabilitation as a process
In this project, time is the raw material. The partition walls are revalued as a structural element. The old wood – aged, but not expired – is recovered with reinforcement techniques that respect its original behavior.
More than restoring, it’s about reconnecting: with the know-how of other eras, with honest materiality, with the character that is built up layer by layer.
Each beam, each wall, each gap, carries a story – and each story is given space to continue.
Your routine, our design
Functional spaces with a focus on adaptability
The interior proposal was designed to respond to the diversity of urban lifestyles, with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom duplex units organized in an efficient, clear and functional manner. Each unit includes flexible solutions to accommodate everything from single occupancy to housing for couples or professionals on a temporary basis.
The kitchen, a central element in contemporary domestic organization, was designed with the possibility of integration or isolation, by means of hidden panel systems. This approach allows for a fluid reading of the living spaces, promoting versatility without compromising functional organization.
The materiality favors natural and durable finishes: light wood flooring, continuous surfaces and recessed lighting solutions reinforce the feeling of continuity and comfort. Natural light is taken advantage of by maintaining the existing openings, which have been duly restored.
Your routine, our design
Functional spaces with a focus on adaptability
The interior proposal was designed to respond to the diversity of urban lifestyles, with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom duplex units organized in an efficient, clear and functional manner. Each unit includes flexible solutions to accommodate everything from single occupancy to housing for couples or professionals on a temporary basis.
The kitchen, a central element in contemporary domestic organization, was designed with the possibility of integration or isolation, by means of hidden panel systems. This approach allows for a fluid reading of the living spaces, promoting versatility without compromising functional organization.
The materiality favors natural and durable finishes: light wood flooring, continuous surfaces and recessed lighting solutions reinforce the feeling of continuity and comfort. Natural light is taken advantage of by maintaining the existing openings, which have been duly restored.
Rear patio as a functional extension of the house
Way of living
The intervention includes a courtyard at the back which acts as a direct extension of the interior spaces. The organization of the first floor volumes respects the scale of the building and the plot, allowing for an articulation between interior and exterior without abrupt transitions.
These support volumes can be used as work, reading or leisure spaces, offering residents an alternative to the traditional occupation of domestic spaces. The layout of the garden was designed to maximize climatic comfort and privacy, with areas shaded by carefully positioned vegetation and perimeter walls that define the perimeter without visually closing off the space.
Depending on the operating model adopted, the patio can be used exclusively or collectively, acting as an architectural and real estate enhancement element. In a consolidated urban context, the presence of an outdoor space of this quality becomes a significant differentiator in terms of the project’s livability and attractiveness.
Project Gallery
Unique Features
Structural rehabilitation with enhancement of the existing: Preservation and reinforcement of the original wooden structure and partition walls, with technical intervention in line with current performance and safety standards.
Potential for volumetric expansion: Possibility of replacing the recessed floor with a volume in line with the neighboring buildings, regularizing the height and increasing the gross construction area.
Versatile housing types: Studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom duplex units with layouts optimized for different usage profiles – from permanent residence to short or medium-term rentals.
Integration of tradition and contemporaneity: Original elements such as shutters, decorative ceilings and window frames are restored and integrated into a current architectural language, with natural materials and discreet solutions.
Modular and adaptable kitchens: Concealment systems that allow kitchens to be transformed into integrated or independent spaces, promoting greater flexibility in the use and organization of space.
Qualified outdoor space: Back patio with green areas and support volumes, acting as an extension of the interior spaces and offering conditions of thermal comfort and privacy.
Strategic urban location: Located in downtown Porto, in a highly attractive residential and tourist area, with excellent accessibility and proximity to services, commerce and transport.
