paulo moreira creates a contemporary living space in 1980s residential building

pontinha is a peripheral district of lisbon characterized by anonymous residential buildings, built mostly in the 1980s. the pontinha apartment by paulo moreira architectures transforms an apparently uninteresting space into a contemporary living area. the project starts with the removal of the typical ‘marquises’ (awnings, which spread throughout the vast majority of suburban balconies). the balconies, which had been encased in aluminium frames, have been reopened and the thermal comfort of the façade improved.

all images by ivo tavares studio

inside the apartment, paulo moreira reconfigured the layout by taking the existing structure of concrete pillars and beams as a starting point. the spatial distribution is based around the hall, which connects the social side of the apartment to the more private side. the living room and kitchen have been joined to create an open space while being subtly separated by a bar which defines the eating and living functions.

the clarity and coolness of the structural elements contrasts with the warm aesthetic of the wooden panels which line the walls. the two bedrooms are divided by the only pre-existing wall which was kept from the original layout. the service areas form a central core. by redesigning the existing toilet, it was possible to include a small laundry room and a second toilet (linked to the suite) in the apartment. the pontinha apartment demonstrates that it is possible to transform the architectural shortcomings of suburban buildings by reducing the excess of rooms and corners to create a beautiful and contemporary living space.

project info:

project team: paulo moreira, hermínio santos, caterina barbon, matteo vianello, nora klinger

client: private

builder: obrik

area: 110 m2

photos: ivo tavares studio

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom