Casa No Príncipe Real
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At a glance
- Project by: Camarim Arquitectos
- Location: Lisbon, Portugal
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© Camarim Arquitectos
Project images
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Casa No Príncipe Real © Camarim Arquitectos View project image |
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Casa No Príncipe Real © Camarim Arquitectos View project image |
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Casa No Príncipe Real © Camarim Arquitectos View project image |
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Casa No Príncipe Real © Camarim Arquitectos View project image |
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Casa No Príncipe Real © Camarim Arquitectos View project image |
Architect's statement
Located a few steps away from Príncipe Real Garden, in a charming 19th century district in central Lisbon, this 45 square meter plot allows building an urban house for a family. The exiguity of the plot led us to an organization where each floor has a different use and all floors are connected through a vertical atrium flooded with natural light. This way, what could have been a major constraint was turned into an advantage for the living experience: each floor is strikingly different in layout, and they are stacked in such a way that there is a progressive level of publicity/intimacy when moving up or down the house. Furthermore, different activities by the people using the building can coexist with a sense of independence due to the vertical break between spaces and uses.
The cladding results from a contemporary approach to the typical tile of the existing building, in advanced state of degradation. The motif of the original tile was translated with a set of abstract rules in a skin that is materialized in 2 different media: a tile with a bass-relief and a patina copper filigree, permeable to light, which tops the solid part of the building. We chose for patina copper because its light, vivid green matches the dominant colour in the existing tiles. At ground level, the façade is clad in plain tiles that look more solid than the former and are reminiscent of the traditional cladding in solid stone at ground level, as happens in nearby buildings.
Because we are working on a historic district, the city hall is very scrupulous about demolitions and all sort of innovations. To explain the city authorities that our design would benefit the neighbourhood, we made an extensive analysis of the whole street front between Príncipe Real Garden and the corner with Rua do Jasmim to show that our design, whilst contemporary, would be more consistent with the scale, rhythmics and decorative structures of nearby buildings than the existing house. We also made extensive use of hand-sketching, physical modelling, 3D-modelling and rendering, to check each step in the design process and make sure we grasp the context and control our proposal in every detail.
The city authorities are so far very excited with our proposal and we plan to begin construction in four months, and hand in the building eight months afterwards.
The way we think construction is changing rapidly; in a matter of some years, energy shifted from a side issue to one of the main challenges of design.
Once our site sits in a historic district, the layout is preset. To compensate for this, we chose for a light galvanized steel frame construction system, with excellent thermal and acoustical performances due to its thick insulation; then we wrapped the building with an insulation envelope that eliminates thermal bridges, and preferred PVC window frames for their conductivity is 10 times lower than that of aluminium. The vertical atrium connecting the five floors of the house acts as a thermal chimney that regulates heating and cooling cycles through cross-ventilation and the use of thermal mass in the floors.
As active systems, we will install a modular system consisting of solar electric and thermal units that will produce electricity to be sold back to the network and hot water for bathrooms, kitchen appliances and central heating. In the absence of sun during more than 72 hours, a biomass stove can replace the solar thermal units.
These measures will allow us to accomplish a Zero Energy Home: a house that produces at least as much energy as it consumes.
Details/Credits
- Location: Lisbon, Portugal
- Principal architects: Camarim Architects (Vasco Correia & Patricia Sousa)
- Structure: João Santos (Futureng)
- Mechanical, Electrical & Energy Efficiency: Guilherme Carrilho Da Graça (Natural Works)
- Water, Plumbing & Gas: João Santos (Futureng)
- Floor area: 169 m2
- Site area: 42 m2
- Project Schedule: 2007-2011
