The project involved the rehabilitation of an office building, originally from the early 2000s, situated on a well-established artery in the city of Lisbon, Avenida Álvares Cabral. The aim of the intervention is to convert the building for residential use, adapting it to contemporary requirements for comfort, thermal efficiency and acoustic performance.

The strategy is based on preserving the existing structural elements, a system of solid slabs with no exposed beams, articulated with a new spatial organisation that preserves the building’s directional lines whilst adapting them to the requirements of the new program. This new program includes five apartments, one per floor, a commercial unit on the ground floor and underground parking, whilst maintaining the building’s functional structure and reinforcing its integration into the surrounding urban fabric.

The main façade has been fully preserved, notably the decorative and compositional elements such as the stonework, joinery and ironwork; only the top floor, which has been set back, has been altered, restoring the building’s original design. In contrast, the intervention on the rear façade is a distinctly contemporary gesture, involving the creation of a new, unique and more set-back façade plane, the opening of floor-to-floor openings and the creation of outdoor terrace areas, which extend the apartments’ social areas.

The interiors of the dwellings are organised in accordance with the building’s setting, prioritising the placement of common areas at the rear, with a seamless transition to the terraces and, from there, to the privileged view over Lisbon. The bedrooms, meanwhile, are set apart, ensuring comfort and privacy.

The interior design seeks to reinforce this spatial organisation through a minimalist approach, based on a monochromatic palette and a refined design of the structural elements. The selection of materials seeks to establish a sense of continuity between the existing building and its new condition, combining more understated materials with contemporary elements, which is particularly evident in the outdoor areas. The lighting is carefully integrated, helping to define the different environments and creating a continuous and coherent flow through the spaces.