Imprensa Nacional 36 | ALA.rquitectos

The Office is located in a typical Lisbon neighbourhood, on the ground floor of a mid-19th century building, where in 1980 a profound intervention was carried out. This intervention consisted of altering its original structure, with the aim of transforming a single-family house into 2 apartments.

The ground floor, which used to function as an access to the interior patio, became an open space office where the structural reinforcement was made with metal profiles. The façade has not been altered, which means that the large wooden double door has been retained.

This was the starting point for the project, a diaphanous space with an unclear plan geometry and insufficient natural light that existed.

We started by designing a functional wall that organizes and clarifies the space. On this wall, covered with a shell, there is a pantry, a pantry and the doors that give access to the technical area, the archive and the sanitary installation.

As for the lack of natural light and so that the space can always be used with the door open without questioning thermal and safety issues, we designed a glass partition with a wooden structure painted in black. In order for the interior space to result in a clear shape, we chose to extend this partition to the opposite wall, creating a small meeting room.

As for the materials, we chose to create a contrast between the wooden wall and the continuous cementitious floor. There is only a hint of color on the existing steel beams.