2024 · Porto, Portugal · Adaptive Reuse
Atelier Norte
A creative workspace in Porto
Photography: Simão Ribeiro
Thebuildingalreadyexisted.Ourtaskwasnottoreplaceit,buttolistentowhatremainedandbuildtheminimumnecessaryaroundit.
Specifications
The Existing Building
The townhouse had been subdivided in the 1970s into apartments — suspended ceilings, plasterboard partitions, and vinyl floors had buried a generous 19th-century shell. A structural survey revealed the original load-bearing stone walls intact, the timber roof structure in good condition, and a double-height rear volume that had been entirely hidden.
The Intervention
The decision was made to strip the building back to its structural skeleton and make all new elements clearly legible as additions. The mezzanine is a freestanding steel frame — it touches the existing walls at four points only, never pretending to be original. The concrete floor slab was poured over new underfloor heating, covering the original flagstone which is preserved beneath.
The steel mezzanine lands on four isolated pad foundations — a deliberate gap of 20mm between the new structure and the original masonry. New and old never touch. The joint is the architectural statement.
The building is wedged between party walls with light available only from the street facade and a small rear courtyard. We opened the rear courtyard to the studio through a full-height glazed wall, transforming what was a forgotten utility space into the primary light source for the workspace.
The rear courtyard — previously accessible only through a service door — becomes the visual anchor of the studio. Its walls are painted white to maximize light reflection into the deep plan.
Specification // Architectural Drawings & Plans
Drawing Index & Spatial Sections
DWG // 01 // Ground Floor Plan
SCALE 1:100 @ A1
Primary spatial layout showing living courtyard integration and natural ventilation axis.
The ground plan prioritizes continuous indoor-outdoor flow, wrapping communal living spaces around an internal rainwater garden.
Material Palette
Exposed Original Masonry
The granite party walls were cleaned of later finishes but not repointed. The raw, uneven surface of the original stone is left visible throughout the studio — a direct connection to the building's 19th-century construction.
Mild Steel
The mezzanine structure uses mild steel rather than stainless — a deliberate choice. The material will develop a patina over time, darkening in tone as the studio ages. The building's history will continue to be written on the surfaces.
Baltic Birch Ply
Used for worksurfaces, storage, and the stair treads. Birch ply is durable, workable, and honest — a material that architects understand and that clients can see being used with confidence.
Light Strategy
In a dense urban block, light is scarce and directional. The rear courtyard was treated as a light well — its white-painted surfaces reflecting northern sky light deep into the studio plan. The street facade retains its original window rhythm but the glazing bars were removed, maximising the glass area without altering the facade composition.
Site Response
The project does not add to Porto's skyline. It works entirely within the existing building envelope — an internal transformation that is invisible from the street. The facade was cleaned and the original lime render repaired rather than replaced, returning the building to its 19th-century appearance.
Transformation
19th-century townhouse — before and after
Spatial Archive
Ground floor workspace, east light
Mezzanine meeting level
MATERIALITY
The three materials — granite, steel, and birch — were selected to be visually honest about their structural role. No material performs anything other than its actual function.
Steel, stone, and birch ply
PROJECT TEAM & CREDITS
