Building Rehabilitation of the Bairro do Cerco do Porto

Located in the eastern part of Porto, a less developed urban area, the neighborhood has suffered for decades from physical degradation and social isolation, which has marked its public image. But while it is considered a problematic neighborhood, it is also an example of a community with strong cohesion and local pride. The “Rehabilitation of Residential Buildings in the Cerco do Porto Neighborhood” was divided into two sets of interconnected interventions in the buildings, entrusted to the architectural firms of Virginio Moutinho and José Gigante. These will be complemented later by a large-scale exterior renovation and landscaping operation, designed by architect José Manuel Soares.

This renovation project—which follows two previous ones (in the late 1990s and early 2000s, both designed by Virgínio Moutinho), corresponds to a more structured approach - involving the refurbishment of all the housing blocks, with the aim of improving the common elements of the buildings, updating the image of the neighborhood, and bringing comfort levels into line with current regulatory requirements. It is mainly an intervention focused on the construction surrounding the buildings, with an incursion into the interior space covering the common vertical accesses. It includes the treatment of the access system with video intercom control, the redesign of technical infrastructures, the paving of stairs and landings, the replacement of handrails, as well as the revision of ceilings and lighting and the installation of security doors in the dwellings. In all cases, the existing structure consisting of granite masonry walls and reinforced concrete floor slabs is fully maintained, a factor that contributes to reducing construction costs.

Virgínio Moutinho's intervention involves the renovation of 16 buildings, served by staircases connected to the apartments. The following procedures will be carried out: - Thermal cladding of facades (ETICS system with expanded polystyrene and colored busbar). - Replacement of window frames with thermally optimized PVC and double glazing systems. - Installation of aluminum grilles for drying clothes. - Renovation of roofs with the application of sandwich metal sheets with interior thermal insulation and a new rainwater system with gutters and zinc accessories. José Gigante's intervention consists of the renovation of 18 buildings, served by staircases and open galleries. The following procedures were carried out: - Facades clad with exposed ceramic brick in three colors, air cavity with thermal insulation, and protective white paint on the lower floor (materials chosen for their durability, also used in the replacement of pre-existing additions on the ground floor). - Installation of aluminum window frames with double glazing and aluminum grilles for drying clothes. - Renovation of roofs with maintenance of ceramic tiles, thermal insulation, and replacement of zinc gutters.