Casa da Ilda e do Hugo

The project is located in Parede, in the municipality of Cascais, in a dense residential area characterised by collective housing buildings, diverse commerce and green spaces. The apartment belongs to a building from the 1970s and is located on an elevated ground floor, with a gross area of 128.7 m².

Originally, the flat had a very compartmentalised layout. The entrance was through a hall followed by a long corridor with access to the various rooms. It had four bedrooms, two central bathrooms, a kitchen with a balcony and a living room located at the opposite end of the floor plan, with no direct connection to the kitchen.

The intervention focused on simplifying the floor plan, dividing it longitudinally along the old corridor. On one side, the three bedrooms (one was removed) and two remodelled bathrooms were organised. On the other, an open-plan social area was created, integrating the living room, dining room and kitchen. Despite the more open floor plan, the presence of the existing structure – namely the pillars – allows for a natural reading and division of the different spaces.

The striking feature of the new space is the organic, rounded concrete kitchen island. Inspired by a hand-drawn sketch during the design process, it acts as a transition between the functional area (kitchen and dining room) and the leisure area (living room).

The social area benefits from views of a green space and faces east. The old balcony was partially maintained and integrated: the part next to the kitchen remains as a balcony, while the rest of the space was incorporated into the living room, bringing the original latticework of the façade into the interior. This was closed with glass bricks, allowing natural light to enter and ensuring privacy, which is essential as it is a ground floor.

The flooring throughout the house is covered with wooden planks, giving it uniformity and spaciousness. In the kitchen and on the island, the use of bottle-green tiles stands out, giving the space its identity. In the bathrooms, which have also been remodelled, colourful tiles have been used and windows have been integrated to allow natural light to enter, despite being interior spaces.