Housing Building

This project intention was to develop a low cost housing building for rent that would fit within the existing urban environment and preserve the identity of the location. It´s not a rehabilitation, and there isn’t any intention to mimic any language. However, in a contemporary way, we tried a complete integration into the urban area, maintaining some of its aspects – the modulation of window openings, the roof geometry, and the materials that form the overall image of the surrounding area.

The proposal predicts the occupation to be the entire width of the plot, through a rectangular polygon with a double pitched roof.

Despite having a facade towards the Street General Massano de Amorim, the building has a closer relation with the Street Mercês, and this is the reason why the double access is made by this last one.

Therefore, through the N.º2 door is the access to three houses, one at each floor.

On the levels 0 and 1 there’s a studio apartment on each, composed by a small entrance hall, a bathroom and a Living room/Bedroom/integrated Kitchen. On the level 2, there’s a one bedroom apartment, just like the ones bellow, but bigger, by the addition of a room. This apartment has a sloped ceiling in which were opened some dormer windows, in order to add useful space and simultaneously provide the necessary lightning for a more comfortable use.

On the west extreme of the main facade, and through the N.º2A door, is the access to a one bedroom apartment developed in two floors. On the level 0 there’s the Living room/integrated Kitchen, and on the level 1, the bedroom and the bathroom.