Arruda 105 is a rehabilitation and expansion project of a building located on Cândido dos Reis Street in Arruda dos Vinhos, aiming to create a single-family dwelling. Based on the program proposed by the client, the intervention took into account the study of the existing structure and its relationship with the surrounding built environment, as it is one of the most important axes in the historic center of Arruda dos Vinhos.

The existing building consisted of two floors and an adjacent plot with a generally rectangular configuration from east to west. The existing construction already had the main access level at Cândido dos Reis Street, with the existing plot situated approximately four meters above the ground floor level. The ground floor of the building comprised a storage area, a store, and access to the dwelling, which is located on the first floor, specifically at door number 105. The building was in a state of advanced degradation, except for the main facade, and did not comply with current legal and regulatory requirements.

In order to accommodate the new program, the demolition of the building was considered while preserving the facade facing Cândido dos Reis Street. A solution was proposed based on three main focal points that gave rise to the design: functional distribution of the requested program, establishment of a logic for access and interior circulation, and improvement of the living conditions.

The response to these three main points naturally emerged through the proposal to create two voids in the middle of the plot, aiming to locate the vertical circulations while providing light and ventilation, particularly on the ground floor where these aspects were lacking. The interior circulation within the house is designed in a circular manner to enable access to the different levels, which were created to address the original height difference between the street level and the existing garden. Thus, the interior circulations drove the distribution of spaces both horizontally and vertically. The other void is proposed outside the dwelling, between the garden and the house, in order to provide more light and ventilation at the ground floor level, which was mostly buried previously. This space also allows for the creation of an outdoor area that connects the dining room, kitchen, and laundry room. The outdoor space, as it currently exists, is situated on the first floor and accommodates a garden, a swimming pool, an external bathroom, and a storage area. Direct access to the exterior level of the house is created above these two voids, thereby allowing the house to have an access point from the existing path at the rear.

Arruda 105 is a project that, through a simple design gesture, naturally harmonizes with its surroundings while enhancing its qualities.