Renovation and re-adjust the structure of an old residential building by M-AO
10/08/2020.
[Braga] Portugal
metalocus, ANDRÉS ROJAS
metalocus, ANDRÉS ROJAS
Portuguese architecture firm, Martins Architecture Office, renewed a former building in Braga city, Northern of Portugal.
The main action was resolve a caotic structure, the staircase and windows. The building was structure with concrete, another part with the original wooden structure in bad condition.
The main action was resolve a caotic structure, the staircase and windows. The building was structure with concrete, another part with the original wooden structure in bad condition.
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office. Photograph by NUDO
Ground and first floor plan. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Second and third floor plan. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Staircase axonometric. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Main elevation and section. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Courtyard elevation. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Model. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Model. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
Model. Renovation of a former residential building by Martins Architecture Office.
The proposal designed by Martins Architecture Office pay attention in specific areas of the main structure and to reprogram the main vertical access that allowed each floor to have a private interior connection and that allowed to rectify the link between the vertical access to the interior.
Inside, the renovation is characterice for a wooden shell that integrates spaces without distinguishing functions and that conceals an idea of a main entrance to avoid additional spaces such as the hall.
Inside, the renovation is characterice for a wooden shell that integrates spaces without distinguishing functions and that conceals an idea of a main entrance to avoid additional spaces such as the hall.
Project description by Martins Architecture Office
The building had serious problems, as we were visiting each floor and we discovered each space. By researching about its historic context we realized that the building had been greatly altered over the last two decades. There was no typological order or structural criteria to justify the interventions and their adaptations.
Part of the building was structured with concrete, another part with the original wooden structure in bad condition; each floor internally had a different number of stairs that overcame the heights created by the intervention of the concrete over the wood; it had different stair heights on each floor located at the intersection with the stair case; at the backyard there was built an extension attached to the medieval city wall covering the ground floor garden that had become a trash deposit; there were also windows and doors over brick walls due to the adaptations of adjoining buildings.
The proposal needed to fix specific areas of the main structure and to reprogram the main vertical access that allowed each floor to have a private interior connection and that allowed to rectify the link between the vertical access to the interior.
Freeing up the facades defining the social and private areas, the project fixed a lot of functions (bathrooms, laundries, cabinets, technical areas, the main staircase) in the shaded area, due to the large extension of the area.
We look for an attribute to define this area, a wooden shell that integrates these spaces without distinguishing functions and that conceals an idea of a main entrance to avoid additional spaces such as the hall. We doubled that materiality to the main stair case and at a certain moment, after distinguishing the ground floor main entrance of the building, the shell atmosphere could already define a certain idea of home.
More information
Architects
Project team
José Martins, Marta Machado, Marina Carbia, Barbora Babocká, Hugo Santoalha.
Area
370.00 m²
Dates
2017-2020
Photography
NUDO.
Martins Architecture Office M-AO
Martins Architecture Office (M-AO), was established in Guimarães, Northern of Portugal, in 2013 by José Martins. Their work essentially tries to build fractions of unexpected moments to whom inhabits their physical or intellectual spaces. They work by relating architecture, art, territories, objects and design.
José Martins, was graduated in Architecture by Faculty of Architecture at the University of Oporto and has a Master degree in Architecture and Urban Culture at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya/ Centre Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona. He practiced in the De Architekten Cie - Architecture & Planning Office, Research & Development in Amsterdam where has worked with Frits van Dongen.
His disciplinar approach varies between theory and practice. Regularly publishes architecture books and do architecture curating. From 2011 untill 2013 was President of the Braga regional section of the Portuguese Architectural Association, in 2012 had a scholarship from EU-Japan Fest Japan Committee being in Tokyo researching about Japanese contemporary architecture and in 2013 was co-founder of Ether a cultural compound that wants to set his a critical thoughts on the architecture field of operation.
In 2016 was invited to be art director of a brand new product design company called ALMA - Design d´Auteur based in Curitiba, Brazil.
