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House of Green Windows Building
House of Green Windows Building
Vila do Conde, Portugal
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Other Projects by A2OFFICE
House of Green Windows Building
Vila do Conde, Portugal
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2026
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$100K - 500K
This project, located in the historic centre of Vila do Conde, on a street where time accumulates in layers, arises from a restrained gesture: listening to what was already there and designing for the future. A small, century-old, vacant, and visibly degraded two-family residential building served as the starting point for the construction of a new multifamily residential building, conceived as a critical continuation of the surrounding urban fabric, respecting its rules, irregularities, and scales.
The intervention is based on a logic of conditioned reconstruction, assuming from the outset the physical limitations of the plot and the regulatory framework of the Historic Centre of Vila do Conde. The original façade facing Rua da Senra is preserved as an active memory of the place. The proportions, rhythm, and scale of the openings, as well as the existing stonework elements, are maintained, ensuring the continuous reading of the street front. The image of the former green windows — a simple, recurrent, and identifying element — is recovered and reinterpreted, discreetly and contemporarily integrated into the language of the new building through the joinery and various architectural composition elements, reinforcing the relationship between past and present without resorting to literal imitation.
From the preserved façade, the building extends into the interior of the block, assuming a depth greater than the original, in coherence with the adjoining buildings to the south and the multifamily building to the north. This volumetric choice allows the termination of the existing party wall and recomposes the urban reading of Rua da Senra, while also meeting the functional needs of the new programme. The addition of one floor relative to the original building is resolved through the introduction of a mansard, aligned with the recessed volumes dominant on this street front, ensuring a balanced integration into the surrounding height.
The architecture is clearly contemporary but rooted in the built context. On the street-facing side, the building is marked by material restraint: white render, painted timber joinery, recovered granite in plinths and window surrounds, and the subtle green tone of the openings, in a reading coherent with the pre-existing elements of the historic centre. At the rear, the language becomes more tectonic and abstract, through a white exposed concrete façade, formed by timber slat formwork, giving depth, texture, and durability to the ensemble.
It is in the interior of the block that the building opens more expressively. The recessed balconies, visually supported by walls executed in stone reused from the demolitions, structure the relationship between the building and the courtyard. This exterior space, previously impermeable and residual, is redesigned as a permeable, clean, and habitable area for the use of the ground-floor unit, enhancing comfort, hygiene, and quality of use.
From the upper floor, a balcony frames views over the historic centre. In the background, the Arcos de Vila do Conde appear as both a visual and symbolic reference, but also as an inspiring element for the design of the rear façade, where the succession of arches establishes a subtle and contemporary reading of this historic presence. The building begins to look at the city, and the city gives it meaning in return.
The programme is organised into three residential units, of T1 and T1+1 typologies, served by compact and efficient common areas. All units benefit from natural lighting and ventilation, ensuring cross-ventilation and good habitability conditions in compliance with current legislation.
Essentially, this is a project about balance: between old and new, between regulatory rigor and architectural and creative freedom, between formal restraint and spatial ambition. A building that does not seek to be iconic, but necessary. That does not impose itself, but completes. Architecture that sews, finishes, corrects, and makes the city, with precision, awareness, and deep respect for the place where it is inscribed.
...
Project Name: House of Green Windows Building
Location: Vila do Conde, Porto, Portugal
Architecture Firm: A2OFFICE
Main Architect and Coordination: Alberto Dias Ribeiro
Engineering: Engitek
Year: 2020 - 2026
Gross Built Area: 260m²
Type: New Building with Rehabilitation and Integration of the Existing Façade
Client: Private Client
Status: Completed
Contractor: Construções Litosfera, Lda.
Photography: Alexandra Marques and Alberto Dias Ribeiro
The intervention is based on a logic of conditioned reconstruction, assuming from the outset the physical limitations of the plot and the regulatory framework of the Historic Centre of Vila do Conde. The original façade facing Rua da Senra is preserved as an active memory of the place. The proportions, rhythm, and scale of the openings, as well as the existing stonework elements, are maintained, ensuring the continuous reading of the street front. The image of the former green windows — a simple, recurrent, and identifying element — is recovered and reinterpreted, discreetly and contemporarily integrated into the language of the new building through the joinery and various architectural composition elements, reinforcing the relationship between past and present without resorting to literal imitation.
From the preserved façade, the building extends into the interior of the block, assuming a depth greater than the original, in coherence with the adjoining buildings to the south and the multifamily building to the north. This volumetric choice allows the termination of the existing party wall and recomposes the urban reading of Rua da Senra, while also meeting the functional needs of the new programme. The addition of one floor relative to the original building is resolved through the introduction of a mansard, aligned with the recessed volumes dominant on this street front, ensuring a balanced integration into the surrounding height.
The architecture is clearly contemporary but rooted in the built context. On the street-facing side, the building is marked by material restraint: white render, painted timber joinery, recovered granite in plinths and window surrounds, and the subtle green tone of the openings, in a reading coherent with the pre-existing elements of the historic centre. At the rear, the language becomes more tectonic and abstract, through a white exposed concrete façade, formed by timber slat formwork, giving depth, texture, and durability to the ensemble.
It is in the interior of the block that the building opens more expressively. The recessed balconies, visually supported by walls executed in stone reused from the demolitions, structure the relationship between the building and the courtyard. This exterior space, previously impermeable and residual, is redesigned as a permeable, clean, and habitable area for the use of the ground-floor unit, enhancing comfort, hygiene, and quality of use.
From the upper floor, a balcony frames views over the historic centre. In the background, the Arcos de Vila do Conde appear as both a visual and symbolic reference, but also as an inspiring element for the design of the rear façade, where the succession of arches establishes a subtle and contemporary reading of this historic presence. The building begins to look at the city, and the city gives it meaning in return.
The programme is organised into three residential units, of T1 and T1+1 typologies, served by compact and efficient common areas. All units benefit from natural lighting and ventilation, ensuring cross-ventilation and good habitability conditions in compliance with current legislation.
Essentially, this is a project about balance: between old and new, between regulatory rigor and architectural and creative freedom, between formal restraint and spatial ambition. A building that does not seek to be iconic, but necessary. That does not impose itself, but completes. Architecture that sews, finishes, corrects, and makes the city, with precision, awareness, and deep respect for the place where it is inscribed.
...
Project Name: House of Green Windows Building
Location: Vila do Conde, Porto, Portugal
Architecture Firm: A2OFFICE
Main Architect and Coordination: Alberto Dias Ribeiro
Engineering: Engitek
Year: 2020 - 2026
Gross Built Area: 260m²
Type: New Building with Rehabilitation and Integration of the Existing Façade
Client: Private Client
Status: Completed
Contractor: Construções Litosfera, Lda.
Photography: Alexandra Marques and Alberto Dias Ribeiro
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