



Urban Fragmento
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Project: Design Research
Advisor: João SIlva Leite
A fragment lost in its context of old Portuguese
buildings with a strong marked presence.
This project looks at residential housing not as another stack of apartments but as an object that can revitalise an area that is in need of it.
Due to the new investment in the area, the proposed building is dynamic and full of energy to rebrand this old Lisbon area as something that’s in transformation. The project itself maintains several classic housing ideas in frame, like cross ventilation, separation of social and private areas, but literally twists those notions to arrive to an object that represents the new generation of people that don’t want an apartment but want to be part of the city.
The object itself comes from the idea of extruding the site entirely, and through several measured cuts give as much space as possible on the ground levels as public. This allows for the several programs leasing and commercial spaces requested, instead of doing regular cuts the faceted typology that influenced the cuts to create sharp and dynamic edges that embed themselves in the symbolic meaning of the building.



Façade wise the panelling solution is porous and allows air to flow through it, this solution adds an extra layer of shading to the entire building which in sunny Lisbon, heat is always an issue. This solution also allows with time for plants to grow and connect, creating a multilayered exterior look.
The panelling positioning comes from the original faceted cuts performed on the massing and creates a dynamic movement as if the building is always moving forward adding one more layer of symbolic meaning to the original concept.
The section shows the overall organisation of the building where the principal axis holds the vertical and horizontal circulation, and the exterior sides hold the housing units. The circulation is perforated with different cuts that create an indoor space that is open to airflow, allowing a successful cross ventilation strategy for every housing unit.
There is a communal outdoor space on the last floor with a spectacular view of the sea, while in on the bottom floors there is parking with commercial spaces on top of it.


The object itself comes from the idea of extruding the site entirely, and through several measured cuts give as much space as possible on the ground levels as public. This allows for the several programs leasing and commercial spaces requested, instead of doing regular cuts the faceted typology that influenced the cuts to create sharp and dynamic edges that embed themselves in the symbolic meaning of the building.
The panelling solution is porous and allows air to flow through it, this solution adds an extra layer of shading to the entire building which in sunny Lisbon, heat is always an issue. This solution also allows with time for plants to grow and connect, creating a multilayered exterior look.
The panelling positioning comes from the original faceted cuts performed on the massing and creates a dynamic movement as if the building is always moving forward adding one more layer of symbolic meaning to the original concept.
