The existing

The three-story houses, built in the 50s, concentrated family life on the two upper floors, with the ground floor dedicated to garages and storage. The living quarters had no direct access to the gardens, requiring one to always go down a flight of stairs to reach them. The gardens were narrow, long, and ended with annexes for laundry and garden tool storage. They were not very attractive. The buildings already required general repairs to wall coverings and window frames.

The project

Thus, the renovation project in Foz changes the pre-existing model of enjoying the houses and the existing gardens. It creates two residences, different from each other, but responding to current needs for new spaces. These spaces, with new functional and visual characteristics, with different proportions and articulation between them. They are designed and equipped to offer new value in the realm of comfortable living, according to current standards. One of the residences is an apartment on the top floor, where all living quarters are distributed on a single floor. However, this apartment is complemented by two work areas, offices/studios, occupying half of the intermediate floor. This floor provides formal access to this residence for those arriving from outside. The other residence, with living quarters spread over two floors, offers the experience of a house with a close and direct relationship with the garden. This occupies the entirety of the ground floor, dedicated to family gathering spaces. The portion of the intermediate floor allocated to it is for bedrooms. This residence allows exclusive enjoyment of the garden and the annex building. The annex houses a bright multipurpose room, in addition to the laundry and storage. Outside, it shelters an area for outdoor meals and respective support equipment. This annex, built across the entire width of the back of the lot, hides the chaotic image of the neighboring property walls and constructions, contributing to the organization and "peace" of the garden's horizon.

Energy efficiency and sustainability

Particular attention was given to two aspects: thermal and acoustic insulation efficiency and efficient and sustainable systems for ventilation and air conditioning, as well as sanitary water heating. These systems include the integration and complementarity between thermal solar panels, hydraulic heat recovery systems, and geothermal heat exchangers, assisted by heat pumps. Garden irrigation received special attention in terms of sustainability in resource use. To this end, a device for collecting and storing large quantities of rainwater for garden irrigation was studied. This water, supplemented with well water, will allow garden irrigation throughout the year, avoiding the use of public water for this purpose. The device is also prepared to prevent flooding caused by any heavy downpour.

Renovation of Houses in Foz

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