Technical info:
Architecture: Imarte, atelier
Project Architect: Íria Roriz Madeira
Contractor: Talento e Espaço
Structural Engineer: Tiago Tremoço
Client: Private
The apartment is placed on a small village, Alhandra, a few meters away from the river, and on the very last floor of a 30 year old building. Despite having outdated equipments and systems such as the inexistence of double glazing or having a small kitchen without much room for appliances, the apartment had elements with a very unique identity that the team chose to keep.
As such the project was mostly focused on refurbishing the wet areas, kitchen and bathroom, and on updating the external window frames. The original wooden flooring, cellings, room configuration and joinery, were all retained.
A neutral and elegant style was chosen, privileging natural materials, local or nationally produced.
The kitchen furniture is made of pine plywood with leather handles. The higher shelves lighten the space while retaining the line style of the base cabinets. The dark flooring contrasts with the lighter wood tone and connects with the wall painted in slate color which creates a young and joyful style.
In the corridor, the kitchen's dividing painted line is extended and splits the irreverent wallpaper from the deep green colour in one of the corridor walls. This area, with a lowered ceiling, makes the connection between the various rooms and it is the strong element of the flat.
On the bathroom, the neutral tones were chosen and the equipment disposition allows for circulatory room, allowing the entrance of a wheel chair or extra storage.
The rooms were kept simple and white and the existing wooden window frames retained while adding double glazing to the room that directly communicates with the exterior. On the bathroom and on the enclosed balcony, the window frames are of aluminum with double glazing.