“116B Apartment ” is the southern tip of a collective housing project, designed in the late 1980s by Adalberto Dias, facing the banks of the Cávado river.
© Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
Fitted in the heart of Barcelos, a small historical city in northern Portugal, the building is the result of an ingenious combination of volumes – animated by long balconies – and the sloping plan of its roof, which follows the topography to the southern limit of the property, an imposing granite wall.
© Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
This project seeks a balance between new assumptions (in response to the building’s natural aging and successive interventions that contributed to its decharacterization) and those of the original project. The design of the elevations was strictly respected and the original style book of the project was adopted inside the residence, regarding materials (wood and granite) and color (light tones and variations of red). A methodology based on 3 main axes was defined:
© Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
A parallel circuit is created, using precarious or removable elements, joining the exterior patio of the ground floor (recovered from the original project and which we found transformed into an interior compartment) and the roof terrace, where the chromatic range of rose and red is recreated.
© Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
© Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
Project Info
Architects: André Simão & Nuno Bessa
Area: 299 m²
Year: 2021
Country: Barcelos, Portugal
Photographs: Carlos Eduardo Vinagre
Manufacturers: Barbot, Cimenteira do Louro, Navarra
Architects In Charge: André Simão + Nuno Bessa
General Contractor: Eicenor
Waterproofing: Stirisol – isolamentos e Revestimentos
Sophie Tremblay is a Montreal-based architectural editor and designer with a focus on sustainable urban development. A McGill University architecture graduate, she began her career in adaptive reuse, blending modern design with historical structures. As a Project Editor at Arch2O, she curates stories that connect traditional practice with forward-thinking design. Her writing highlights architecture's role in community engagement and social impact. Sophie has contributed to Canadian Architect and continues to collaborate with local studios on community-driven projects throughout Quebec, maintaining a hands-on approach that informs both her design sensibility and editorial perspective.