Faria Guimaraes Housing

Oporto, Portugal

Housing

8.219 m²

2023

As a new building, more than filling a big gap in the cityscape by addressing housing challenges, there is also a social responsibility to generate urban communities by fostering an engaging environment, where people can connect and thrive. Epicentro project seeks to offer a new urban language, a shared green, and a place for community-centric living.

Located in Porto’s Faria Guimarães Street, the project aims to address urban challenges and redefine community living in the Covelo neighbourhood. The existing urban layout features disjointed blocks that fail to engage with public life. Epicentro aims to resolve urban vulnerabilities and create a sense of continuity along Adriano de Paiva Street, Faria Guimarães Street, and the vacant urban space of Covelo Market as a central hub for transversal connections, effectively revitalizing public spaces.

Between a balanced coexistence of private, collective, and public spaces, the project introduces an inviting green core right in the center of the block and fosters community interaction and engagement among neighbours. This green area acts as a communal focal point and encourages social cohesion within the city.

Transparency and opacity were essential in the design language, establishing a clear definition of privacy. The design features glass brick facades filling the concrete voids of the structure, using light and shadow as a material. Inside, the typologies embody a journey, with walls defining apartments as layers of overlapping planes. The interplay of glass and concrete, along with the introduction of light as a third material, defines and shapes the living spaces.

Through reflective design and strategic placement, this type of urban development aims to enhance the overall quality of life inside cities, while promoting a sense of community and belonging among its residents.