Abbey Apartment
Porto, Portugal · 2017
Apartment
The brief proposed transforming an old office space into a housing space for temporary residence, in response to the high increase of the touristic demand in the city of Porto, allowing a maximum of 6 occupants. With the client agreement, it was proposed to create a housing typology which might respond to the brief, but allowing a future use also as a permanent residence, thus adopting a less ephemeral solution and the creation of a housing space which doesn’t become obsolete with time or with the variations of the touristic market.
With a low budget intervention, the project seeks to maximize the low solar exposure and the existing space, demolishing the unnecessary elements and opening the spaces to light, through an open-space typology that with movable elements (sliding doors and curtains) allows to open or close spaces and adopt different spatial configurations. Light and simple finishes maximize the perception of light and space and serve as background to distinct appropriations according to the nature of its occupation. A wooden volume contains the bathroom and kitchen, using the existing infra-structural connections to place these elements.
Being the spaces intentionally defined in terms of geometry, materials and comfort, they assume in the most ambiguous possible way the program. A roomy space as cosy and familiar as possible, adapting easily to different types of occupation and lifestyle of its users.
Architecture
Paulo Vale Afonso
Area
74,90 sqm
Photography
Helder Bento, Paulo Vale Afonso