Apartment Refurbishment in Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal . 2024

Personal Project - Built

Keeping the 50's Vibe 

CONCEPT . Complete renovation of an apartment for resale, dating back from the 50's ("Estado Novo" period), whose concept essentially included maintaining and enhancing its original features, namely the solid wood parquet flooring, doors, staves and existing ceiling moldings, all carefully restored and, additionally, adding real value to it through the creation of a direct physical and visual connection (originally non-existent) between the kitchen, living room and balcony, taking advantage of its excellent sun exposure, ...

the addition of an additional toilet (ensuite), as well as the placement of in-built wardrobes in the bedrooms, perfectly integrated in the interior architecture and the replacement of a partition wall between the original disproportionately small living room and the adjacent bedroom with a "cobogó" screen, an accent wall that allows a flexible and multifunctional use of this space, whether as an extension of the living room (as a dining room), as an office space or even to be reconverted into a bedroom if the future buyer wishes.

MATERIALITY . The conceptual approach to this project, self consciously restrained, minimalist and which reflected the desire for "cost containment" of the respective client, involved the choice of a warm tones and soft textures material palette that followed the original 50's architectural language / vibe of the apartment, such as the "cobogó", a typical modernist architectural element, the cream microcement flooring in the bathroom and kitchen and the natural wooden deck on the balcony.

BEFORE & AFTER

Existing Kitchen

Existing Floorplan

Proposed Floorplan

CREDITS

Architecture » Pedro Dias | Architect

Construction Follow Up » Pedro Dias | Architect

Contractor » Foco Completo

Photographs » Do Mal O Menos

Client » Private Investor

Apartment Refurbishment in Laranjeiro, Almada, Portugal . 2023

Personal Project - Ongoing

Disproportions & Rebalances

CONCEPT . The concept behind this “Low Cost” apartment refurbishment, located across the river in the south suburbs of Lisbon, was basically to demolished all the partition walls located between the existing entrance hall, kitchen and living room, I’m order to create an open space subdivided in 4 clear defined spaces: an open kitchen, a low ceiling dining area, a low ceiling breakfast area and a higher ceiling living room area,as well as to reconfigure / rebalance the disproportion between the existing spaces.

In order to reduce substantially the area of the existing entrance hall, way too big, a new recessed translucent “cobogó” wall (open brick wall) was placed in the middle of it, allowing roughly 50% of its original area to be reduced / given to the living / dining area and natural light to flood in. In the opposite side of the apartment 2 other major changes were introduced: the transformation of a small shared toilet into an en-suite bathroom and the virtual “displacement” of an existing partition wall located between 2 of the bedrooms, one too narrow and the other one generously wide, in order to, once again, rebalance the disproportion between existing spaces. 

MATERIALITY . The color and material pallet followed a minimalistic approach. Basically, the majority of all the surfaces are white with different textures (plaster on walls and ceilings, white painted “cóbogo” wall, handmade kitchen backsplash tiles and powdercoated lower kitchen cabinets) in contrast with a more warm light oak wooden floor and the living room inbuilt furniture and upper kitchen cabinets made of birch plywood panels. The result: an unpretentious, warm, simple and elegant apartment. 

BEFORE & AFTER

Existing Kitchen

Existing Floorplan

Proposed Floorplan

360º View

(click for 360º view of Living Room vs Kitchen)

CREDITS

Architecture » Pedro Dias | Architect + André Marques

Client » Private Investors