SITE SPECIFIC ARQUITECTURA – PATRÍCIA MARQUES E PAULO COSTA
Apartamento em Paço d'Arcos, Paço d’Arcos Apartment
Oeiras, Portugal
2019-2022
Cliente / Client · privado / private
Equipa de projecto / Team . Leonardo Semedo
Fotografia / Photos . Eduardo Nascimento – do mal o menos
Construção / Constructor . J.C. Sampaio Construções, Lda

Paço de Arcos is a coastal parish of Oeiras, at the river mouth of the Tagus, which observes the connection of the river to the ocean. In the 19th century, it was an excellent beach in the Lisbon region, where the capital’s aristocracy bathed, and with the evolution of the great metropolis, it became more suburbanized.
In the 1970s, this seaside atmosphere was still alive, leaving behind various constructions with typological references to this summer life that can be found along the coastline to Cascais. The 1970s and 1980s imposed a forced modernity on the historic center of Paço de Arcos, highlighted by a large housing unit, with a modernist design, facing south, overlooking the ocean above the old rooftops. These were exclusively T1 typologies, with approximately 46m2, featuring small compartments, a kitchenette, and large balconies overlooking the sea.
Over time, temporary apartments became permanent, and space needs led to the appearance of glass and aluminum marquises, which distorted the building and imposed a greater loss of character to the neighborhood.
The proposal seeks, through the exploration of minimal spaces, to reconsider the value of each space in contemporary T1 typology, privileging social spaces and the relationship with the view. The demolition of the existing marquise and the redefinition of the exterior openings, made with large glazed surfaces, ensure spatial continuity between the interior and exterior, allowing the expansion of outdoor space inward, creating a large terrace overlooking the sea.
The interior of the existing apartment, with an entrance hall, a bathroom with bathtub and bidet, a generous bedroom, and a wardrobe, was completely demolished, and a new device was designed in carpentry, allowing to redefine each function in a free and open way, making the space unique, fluid, and flexible, taking advantage of large wooden partition panels.
The entrance experience of the house is now exclusively dominated by the presence of the sea. One enters directly into the spacious living room, with the kitchen on the left and a storage area and larger equipment on the right.
The kitchen is a small, open space where each appliance occupies its strict place in a rigorous geometry that ensures all essential functions for daily use.
In the next step, the bedroom is discovered on the left, designed as an alcove, overlooking the sea. Here, the space is strictly necessary for access to the bed, wardrobe, and bathroom.
It was sought that the living room and the balcony be a continuous space that allows various uses according to the weather. This spatial extension is reinforced by the cement finish of the floor, which is common throughout the house, inside and outside.
The living room is the central space of the entire set and has a direct relationship with the rest of the house. The presence of large partition panels, as well as the large exterior glazed surfaces, serves to temporarily divide the continuity between spaces.
From the balcony, one can see the sea and river at 180º; on clear days, the view extends along the coast to Cabo Espichel. Sunshade screens protect the apartment from direct sunlight and provide a cool environment on hot days, ensuring access to the view.