Workers’ estates are an important part of Porto’s history, having once been a common type of housing development. From the 19th century onwards, they served as low-cost housing for workers streaming into the city in search of work. Over the years, however, they have become a symbol of overcrowding and poor living conditions, prompting the authorities to implement resettlement programmes. Despite this, many of these historic enclaves have survived and form an important part of the urban landscape, attracting the attention of contemporary architects who are trying to give them new life. An example of this approach is the Covelo House project, focusing on the renovation of one of the typical buildings of a workers’ housing estate, developed by the Spaceworkers studio.
The history of workers’ estates in Oporto
The workers’ estates in Porto were built as strings of small, semi-detached houses, often located in the long courtyards of bourgeois tenements. Each usually had a door and window facing a common pavement leading to the other dwellings. These compact and economical structures served as a refuge for the working class who flocked to Porto in large numbers in search of work. As time passed, the neighbourhoods became increasingly overcrowded, leading to a significant deterioration in sanitation and housing conditions. In the 1970s, the Portuguese government embarked on a resettlement programme to improve the living conditions of residents and relocate them to newly created social housing estates on the outskirts of the city. Although many of these historic enclaves have disappeared from Porto’s landscape, some of them have survived and today form an important part of the city’s identity and an object of interest for urban planners and architects.
Covelo House renovation project
Faced with the challenges of estate regeneration, architecture studio Spaceworkers decided to take on the task of renovating one such house. The project involved the restoration of a dilapidated, two-storey building measuring 4 metres by 4 metres, which originally had three windows and a front door.
The renovation of the building involved dividing the space into two functional zones: a public area on the ground floor, including the living room and kitchen, and a private area on the first floor, where the bedroom and bathroom are located. The unifying element between the two levels is a modern staircase that starts at the kitchen counter and ends in a black module on the first floor. The interior gains spaciousness from the use of a mirrored bathroom enclosure, which reflects the light coming through the two windows. The walls of the building, which are made of stone, have been painted white to maximise the light inside. New shutters in distinctive colours have also been installed inside. The contrasting, modern architectural elements introduced into the design have given the building a contemporary feel. From the outside, the architectural intervention manifests itself through the black volume accentuated at the entrance and the pastel colour of the façade.
About the authors
Studio Spaceworkers is a Portuguese architectural studio known for its innovative approach to design and sensitivity to historical and social context. Their projects combine the memory of the past with modern spatial solutions to reinterpret architectural heritage in a contemporary spirit. In the case of the revitalisation of the workers’ housing estates in Porto, the aim was not only to restore the existing structures, but also to make them functional again and give them a new identity.
Area: 32 sq m
Location: Porto, Portugal
Project: Spaceworkers
Principal architects: Henrique Marques and Rui Dinis
Other architects: João Ortigão, Marco Santos, Tiago Maciel
Furniture: Bairro Design
Photography: Ivo Tavares
Also read: Architecture | Tenement | Metamorphosis | Renovation | Interiors | Portugal
