RGM 46 | DC.AD

RGM 46 is an apartment renovation project located in Lisbon: with an area of roughly 60m2, it
is a duplex apartment with a small terrace on the roof.
The functional layout proposed included a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The
intervention began by creating a separation between the social and private areas of the
apartment by way of the two existing floors.
All the walls and obstacles on the lower floor were removed to create a single, expansive
space for the living room. In order to do this, the structure of the apartment had to be
reinforced with a new system composed of metal beams and pillars, which were left exposed
and became a theme of the project. The strengthening structure marks out, lengthwise, two
distinct areas of the living room, one facing south, which enjoys the outdoor balcony and the
natural light from the openings in the main façade, and the other facing north, which
communicates with the windowless rear wall. Together with the strategic position of the pillar,
four separate areas are marked out: the living room to the south, divided into the west-facing
living space and the east-facing dining area; and the functional area to the north.
A new space was attached to the north-facing wall, comprising an abstract line of panels that
includes the cupboards of the new kitchen, storage areas and access to the stairs leading to
the upper floor. The addition of this new area aims, firstly, to introduce all the functions of the
kitchen in one go and, secondly, to provide a single, continuous background for the space. The
grey panels, together with the ceiling painted the same colour, use colour to make a spatial
distinction from the bright living area, accentuated by the different shades of white on the
surfaces and the momentum of the structural wooden joists that characterise the room’s
ceiling. To soften the relationship between these two spaces, a semi-open metal shelving unit
was created to support both the kitchen and living areas.
The upper floor contains an open-plan suite. It has a continuous floor and ceiling, although it is
separated by strategically positioned pieces of furniture that create different hierarchies in the
use of the space. Two freestanding pieces were created that separate, and allow movement
between, the bedroom area and the bathroom area.
The bathroom is located on the east side, with natural light and ventilation coming from a new
opening in the roof. This area can be closed using two pink acrylic panels to create a semitransparent
effect and filter coloured light into the space. The space separating the bedroom
area includes a nook containing a metal washbasin and the inner surfaces are lined with
mirrors.
The main area of the bedroom explores scales of white and grey with different shades and
textures. The bed is placed inside a nook with bedside tables at different heights. The outdoor
terrace and landscape can be seen from here, reflected in the mirror on the wardrobe.

The electrical infrastructure and decorative lamps intentionally stand out in black, while the
main wall lighting is invisible, white and unobtrusive.
Overall, the project aims to lighten the space by creating broad areas that communicate with
one another in a flowing movement, free from obstacles. The subtle variations between areas
are meticulously materialised in the design and positioning of the furniture and the careful use
of colour.