The building to be rehabilitated, consisting of a basement, a commercial ground floor and the two floors, occupies a narrow, deep lot with an area of 215 m2, 6 metres in front and 26 metres deep.
The central space contains the access staircase to the semi-floor, achieved by taking advantage of the available ceiling height. Directly accessible from the entrance vestibule, this central area is bordered by glazed doors that allow it to be completely isolated. It was these two elements that allowed the leit motif of the project to be developed. Two dwellings connected by their vestibules that create a vertical courtyard flooded by the light from the large central skylight.
One of the aims of the project, from its conception, was to recover as far as possible the heritage values diagnosed in the pre-existing building. Both the stairwell and the access to the floors have remained unchanged, with the structure, cladding and handrails being restored and only a further access section to the upper floor being added. The primitive functional distribution was also recovered, which located the living room and common areas on the side facing Rua Sá da Bandeira, to the west, and the bedrooms, to the east, facing Rua do Ateneu Comercial do Porto. Taking advantage of the roof space, a new light roof was proposed, which includes a support area on the top floor of the dwelling.