In Porto, a three-storey residential building integrates passive strategies into its spatial organization, combining solar orientation, cross-ventilation, privacy and a close relationship with vegetation. 

The project comprises an 870-square-metre multifamily residential building designed by architecture practice hori-zonte for a private client. Set within an established urban context, the building responds to the site’s specific conditions through a spatial organization that balances exposure, privacy and environmental comfort. 

The main design decision was to place a single apartment on each floor. This configuration gives each home at least two opposing façades, allowing the spaces to respond to different exposure and privacy conditions. Facing south, the living areas open towards the street through large glazed openings, bringing natural light inside. At the opposite end, the bedrooms face the inner courtyard, creating a more sheltered, quieter environment. 

This relationship between the two opposing façades allows passive strategies to be integrated into the design itself. The layout supports natural cross-ventilation, while the southern orientation increases solar gains and daylight factors in the main living spaces. 

The inner courtyard plays a central role in this approach. Beyond providing greater privacy for the bedrooms, it brings vegetation deeper into the plot and establishes a direct relationship between the domestic spaces and the outdoors. Porous materials are used in high-traffic areas, complementing this strategy and contributing to a more permeable relationship between the building and the natural environment. 

The relationship with the context is also expressed through materiality and colour. The coral façade contrasts with the surrounding greenery and gives the building a distinct visual identity, while establishing a connection with the neighbouring building. Its scale and volume maintain a measured relationship with the existing urban fabric. 
A rooftop area and garage complete the residential programme, maintaining the building’s restrained architectural expression. 

Rather than adding systems to respond to environmental conditions, the project incorporates these responses into the building's configuration. Orientation, daylight, ventilation, vegetation and privacy become interconnected elements of the same architectural strategy. 

Padre Luís Cabral demonstrates how a small-scale residential building can respond to climatic conditions and residents’ needs for privacy while maintaining a relationship with the city, turning the site’s specific characteristics into an integral part of the living experience.