688 is a residential project that aims to convert an office building into housing.
The building is located in the historical city center of Porto, standing in front of the Municipality Market Bolhão, in Fernandes TomásStreet.
The proposal conceives different dwelling typologies, changing the existing workplace usage. Each floor consisted of two units according to a front/rear layout. The project unlocked this division, creating living spaces that joined the two sides of the building. Therefore, the areas were maximized for flexible housing typologies. Studio apartments were created on the lower floors, and 2-bedroom apartments on the upper floors. The space division is formed by joinery elements that organize the areas whilst relating them by color and material consistency.
Given the North/South orientation, the existing windows were changed. The windows to the south were increased, maximizing the entry of sun and daylight into the social areas of the apartments and optimizing the views over the city and towards the market. The facades were cladded with insulated textured render and the color scheme was chosen considering the existing natural stones in the common areas of the lobbies.
This way, a gradation of color and texture was established between the exterior and the interior of the building; between the common and private areas of the building. The selection of color and pigmentation of the materials had this holistic approach that created unity among the elements: joinery, natural stones, terrazzo and the steelwork.
Team:
VM Projectos + MADE office
Material Used:
1. Facade cladding: Render cladded façade & steel metal frames on windows
2. Flooring: Existing parquet floor and poured liquid terrazo
3. Doors: Lacquered timber
4. Windows: Anicolor, Sistema CS
5. Roofing: Existing tile roof
6. Construction method: Concrete existing frame and masonry wall, render cladding
7. Interior furniture: Custom made sofas, bed-side tables produced with existing demolished marble
