Urban villa

An abandoned former war period sports building constructed in the 1940s was largely thought by developers and real estate agents to be headed for demolition until the client bought the site and decided to turn it into a private villa.  Tim Van De Velde The architectural transformation undertaken by MASA Architects began by revealing the raw beauty of the existing walls and in particular the concrete structure beneath. Designed to accommodate large spans for a sports hall, the structure encloses a grand volume of interior space. The next question was how to separate rooms while preserving the open nature of the space.  Tim Van De Velde Instead of standard partition walls, individually designed furniture elements were in... More

In Santa Cruz, Portugal, this renovated house is a part of project of six semi-detached houses originally constructed in the 1980s. Located on the corner of the block, this house features a new program based on optimal amounts of natural light, with a stronger relationship between floors and as well as a strengthened connection between exterior and interior living areas. Francisco Nogueira Central to the renovation by Manuel Tojal Architects is a straight staircase that links the floors together and turns them to the outside. Designed as a void and excavation/subtraction of the pre-existing building the staircase terminates at the roof patio, which was previously unused. The architect explains in this way the staircases becomes a &lsq... More