The building is located in a consolidated urban area and follows the morphological characteristics of the buildings that make up Rua Gomes Freire in Coimbra.

The design solution envisaged the conversion of the building into a single dwelling spread over three floors and an attic. The aim was to make the most of the pre-existence while also recovering the relationship that we believe existed between the building and the rear courtyard. To this end, we felt it was important to create a relationship between the interior of the house and the backyard that would inspire frequent use of this protected outdoor space.

Recovering this dynamic led the project to distribute part of the programme in the backyard, with the construction of a small annex that was given the function of a gymnasium, thus enhancing the use of the exterior also as a distribution and crossing space. The project reconfigured the existing compartmentalisation very occasionally, making the best use of the building’s structural layout and programmatic distribution while maintaining the originality of the spaces as much as possible.

Honourable Mention National Urban Rehabilitation Award 2021_Category Best Residential Intervention

Honourable Mention Diogo de Castilho Municipal Architecture Award 2021