Casa/Atelier Rua do Almada
Rehabilitation of a common 18-19th century residential building in Porto
This work aimed to develop the rehabilitation project of a residential building of the late 18th century in Porto (Portugal).
The project was developed so that the building could accommodate the permanent residence of a young couple (the “house”) and the creation of an independent work place with direct relation with the public space (the “atelier”).
This way, based on a typical typology of the late 18th century, it was proposed that the building could accommodate new functions, adapted to the experiences and needs of the 21st century, materialized in the "Casa/Atelier" concept.
The building is located in the Rua do Almada, a street that reflects the first moment of urban planning in Porto, dated from 1761. Following the “new” rationalism of those times the street follows a totally straight line, and the buildings adopted some standardized elements.
This way, it was intended that the project could respect the history and soul of the building, adopting adopted a minimally intrusive approach, oriented towards a rehabilitation practice based on the preservation of the original building systems.
Thus, the major changes made relate to the rear facade , which showed a marked state of degradation , and the adequacy of the interior spaces and infrastructures to accommodate sanitary and kitchen facilities, considering the nowadays requirements in terms of comfort and sustainability.
At a time when political priorities are focused on accelerating the process of urban regeneration in Portuguese cities, it was considered important to adopt a set of solutions that seek to preserve the characteristics that differentiate the old buildings, contributing to formation of the identity of the City.
It is intended that this case study may contribute to a learning by experience process, which intends to contribute to increase knowledge about different relevant topics related with urban regeneration in the specific case of the city of Porto.
In 2014 this building was awarded an honourable mention in Prémio João de Almada, one of the most important awards in Portugal in the area of rehabilitation in architecture.
