The apartment is inserted in a collective housing building from the 1980s, a period of construction boom in Portugal. It shared some of the issues that characterize many buildings of that time, such as the conflict between spaces and structure, unsatisfactory insulation, dysfunctional organization and inappropriate solar orientation, among other aspects.

We aimed to blend structure and architecture, and to reduce compartments and circulation – thus maximizing natural light through wider areas and lightweight materials. We simplified the layout, and the outcome is a pragmatic connection between social and private areas.

The kitchen is the central element, around which the house is organized. It merges with the living room, from where one can access the previously closed balcony, now opened towards the river.