1. LOCALIZATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SITE 

The existing house is in a predominantly habitation area, next to the Thames River. It can be characterized as being an excellent zone, with good car access and public transportations. The parcel where the house is implanted has about 985m2. 

The existing construction is made of brick walls and wooden floors and roofs. It’s a characteristic construction with traditional materials.

2. THE SOLUTION

The main objective of the project is to restore the existing building and make a small extension to the rear garden, respecting the existing trees, and maintaining as much as possible the old house.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION 

In this restoration we searched for continuity in the interior spaces and in the existing functional areas. The idea was to provide generous areas and to usufruct in the totality the qualities of the existing house. 

The project develops in all the floors, with the following distribution: Basement – a playroom, a home cinema room, toilets and stairs (to the garden and to ground floor); Ground floor – the entrance of the habitation, with a small hall and corridor, where is located the main stairs to access the superior floors, and we have the accesses for the library, a living room, sanitary installation and an entrance of service with a space for closets; 1^st floor – with a gallery with glass floor, is were is situated the private area of the habitation, with three bedrooms, having one of them a privative toilet and closet, and still a toilet for use of the other rooms; 2nd floor (attic) there are four bedrooms and two toilets. 

The facades were studied to keep the original look except in the rear where the new extension is with a modern language.

4. CONSTRUCTIVE OPTIONS 

In a general way, the exterior walls of the building will be kept, proceeding only to its physical recovery, towed and painted. 

The exterior wooden frames will be the same to the existing ones, and will be painted, keeping the original drawing. The interior doors and panels will be wooden and painted.

The interior separation walls will be in brick masonry and painted. The ceilings will plaster painted.

The sanitary installations and kitchen walls will be in washable material. 

In all project we had the concern to characterize the spaces in accordance with the necessities of the future owners, keeping the essential structure of the building, given its integration in an area of patrimonial interest.

A intervenção apresenta-se como uma oportunidade de incitar a revitalização urbana, como sinal de mudança e um mote para o início de uma operação mais alargada.

A concepção deste espaço como pólo gerador de regeneração e centro de atractividade e conexão entre áreas com potencial relevante prevê a reestruturação desta área com uma estrutura verde unificadora e a criação de uma unidade habitacional de destaque na região.

A realização de uma estrutura habitacional sob um sistema de verde contínuo possibilitará a estruturação do território e o reforço da coesão social e urbana, assim como a implementação de dinâmicas urbanas de notoriedade, importantes para o desenvolvimento da cidade.

Neste sentido, este projecto tem uma escala, que só por si supera o domínio da área da intervenção, resultando de uma visão global, diferenciadora e única na região.

A estratégia de intervenção contempla:

– Habitação. Prevê-se a construção de três edifícios de habitação, com uma cércea máxima de 12 pisos, num jogo volumétrico 8 e 12 e que se prevê num total aproximado 334 fogos, cujo desenho se deverá pautar pelo máximo de flexibilidade, podendo ser readaptados face a situação sócio cultural económica do mercado permitindo uma polivalência funcional de modo a tornar-se um elemento de referência no actual contexto e evolução da cidade de Luanda.

– Comércio e Serviços. Prevê-se a ocupação dos três edifícios ao nível do R/C, em contacto com o espaço verde, e piso mezanino, com comércio e serviços, dotando todo este empreendimento de uma grande dinâmica, atractividade e versatilidade ao nível das propostas de ocupação. A solução contempla um total de 12 espaços todos com um piso em mezanino, e de áreas diversificadas.

– Zona Verde. Propõe-se a criação de uma área envolvente de predominância verde, singular e única, com elevada qualidade ambiental e paisagística e diferenciadora. Funciona como uma plataforma que molda o terreno. Os limites do terreno terão muros com 60cm de altura e até 2m em cerca verde. É privilegiada a utilização de espécies autóctones. Todo o espaço verde exterior de estar e lazer será alvo de um estudo paisagístico mais específico.

– Espaço de estacionamento. Abaixo da plataforma verde, que constitui o miradouro privilegiado com vista para o mar distribuem-se inferiormente e já subterrâneo, os vários níveis de estacionamento para apoio a todo este empreendimento, bem como aos utilizadores da praia e de todo o espaço verde que se pretende de referência. Este estacionamentos subterrâneo está subdividido em três plataformas de dois pisos abaixo do solo cada uma, abrangendo assim toda a área de intervenção.

It is an unusual structure: something in the middle of a new urban park and  enormous broadsides with a world of imaginative objects.

Between land-art and architectural design, we propose a sensual space, new spatial experiences for the emotional fields. This crystal landmark associates crystal clear sound as the motive for the design and as the structural and image base for the creation of the form. The mother earth is the theme, the essential base of creation. The rupture, the birth of a form that comes from within, as it happens with music.

The strategy of the Crystal Park is an idea of uncovering the land with buildings and volumes. We want to fuse construction and nature into one mass! In a way, it will give men the desire to return back to the earth, and essence within nature’s geometry. The pure geometry of nature coincides with a firm structural base for architecture and construction.

The structure is based on fractals and “simple mathematical systems” studied by the CNLL team and the Mathematical Research Group of Oporto University, and is derived from the molecular structure of crystal quartz. The crystal quartz can vibrate and oscilate of a regular form and have an internal molecular structure in spiral. The quartz goblets have only sonorous properties, they produce a sinusoidal wave of pure sound that expands up to one kilometre of distance and that it can take some minutes to extinguish itself.

Eight main volumes with sloped roofs in different directions are proposed, containing the classrooms, spatially articulated by a circulation ring/corridor, with enough transparency to visually incorporate and provide a special continuity between the interior and the central courtyard, where the open amphitheatre is located. Apart from these volumes with identical dimensioning, there is another with larger proportions containing the indoor gymnasium. In each of these volumes’ facades there are large glass windows, allowing the classrooms to be lit by natural lighting. The windows are placed in different strategic areas in order to maintain the privacy needed for a
classroom.

The project underlines the idea of a space with special qualities, that allows not only the learning through classes, but also that improves people’s experiences, mobility and their connection with school itself. Thus, we developed a concept of Open School, exploring the school more like a body rather than a building itself: the school it is not finished; it is in constant evolution and has to be used by children, teachers, parents… in order to achieve its potential and purpose.

At the same time, the Open concept also refers to the will of creating a building clearly connected to the city. Having that in mind, the shape of the proposal, made through cuts and subtractions, reflects the forms of the city. In addition to that, the two entrances allow the user to have different interactions and perceptions: as the student grows older and changes from preschool to primary school, so does his perception of the building, as if it was not the same.