TI House: a return to the essence of Portuguese architecture

In the city of Santo Tirso, Portugal, TI House is a project by NOARQ that involved transforming a building that had been abandoned for twenty years into a modern, sustainable home.

The building, which was abandoned shortly before its completion, showed signs of vandalism and deterioration. The architects took an almost surgical approach to the restoration process to bring out the hidden potential of this solid concrete building.

 

TI House: an essential space

 

From outside, TI House appears to have been created by hollowing out a large white volume. With a surface area of over 700 m² on two aboveground levels, the interiors feature neutral tones and materials, such as the white walls, beige, and timber, which combine to create a minimalist environment. The spaces are free of obstacles and architectural barriers, forming a single large open space.

One of the most distinctive features of the home is the swimming pool in the main room. The bright blue of the water creates a chromatic contrast with the surrounding white surfaces, adding a touch of liveliness and freshness to the home.

 

Sustainable rebirth

 

The concept of TI House was to eliminate everything superfluous, both aesthetically and structurally. As the architects from NOARQ point out, “Portuguese architecture has always been simple and understated. This house is a return to the essence of traditional Portuguese architecture in its volume, spaces, scale, and proportions. These are the essentials that remain through time.”

While keeping with tradition, TI House uses innovative technologies for lighting, heating, and cooling, following the principle of integral sustainability, which begins with the use of local materials and labor.

 

To maximize energy savings, the building envelope was insulated externally with mineral wool, while the windows have low-emissivity double glazing. Renewable energy produced by photovoltaic panels on the roof covers a large part of the home’s power needs, while a water recovery system supplies water for the garden.

Vandalized stone flooring was covered with continuous cement-colored flooring, while the walls were restored to their original color, with several openings added to allow natural light to flood the interiors. Debris from demolishing reinforced concrete structures was used to create outdoor paving. Finally, the building has systems that ensure low consumption of electricity and water.

 

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