Architects: Madalena Pereira Arquitectura
Area: 304 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Gonçalo Duarte Pacheco
Lead Architect: Madalena Pereira
Category: Dorms, Refurbishment
Architect Team: Madalena Pereira, Rita Rocha Santos, Mariana Rebelo
Topographical Survey: Globotop
Three-Dimensional Images: Vasco Pata
Stability: Anótinio Miranda dos Santos
Water And Sewage: Anótinio Miranda dos Santos
Acoustic Conditioning: Anótinio Miranda dos Santos
Thermal Performances: João Carlos Guerra
Ventilation And Air Conditioning: João Carlos Guerra
Gas: António Pires
Telecommunications Infrastructures: António Pires
Electrical Infrastructures: António Pires
Health And Safety Plan: Luís Rolhas
Construction And Demolition Waste Prevention And Management Plan: Luís Rolhas
Measurements And Budget: Sérgio Pereira
Core A: 148,14 m2
Core B: 155,40m2
City: Torres Vedras
Country: Portugal
The University Residences by Madalena Pereira Arquitectura revitalize three historic buildings in the center of Torres Vedras, transforming them into contemporary student housing. Commissioned by the Torres Vedras City Council, the project reactivates vacant pre-1951 structures through sensitive architectural rehabilitation that respects local heritage and urban context. Two of the buildings were joined to create Core A, while the third became Core B, maintaining its independent character. The intervention preserved facades, stonework, and timber detailing while introducing new steel structures for stability and energy-efficient systems that elevate the buildings’ performance by at least two energy classes. Balancing conservation with adaptation, the design reintroduces vitality to the historic center through carefully scaled modern interventions that respect the material and spatial integrity of the original architecture.
Located in the heart of Torres Vedras, the University Residences project demonstrates how careful rehabilitation can reconcile architectural heritage with contemporary residential needs. Madalena Pereira Arquitectura approached the commission with a focus on continuity and restraint, preserving the character of three deteriorated pre-1951 buildings while adapting them for modern student living. The work responds to the legal and technical framework established by the RERU – Exceptional Urban Rehabilitation Regime – as well as the guidelines of the Detailed Plan of the Historic Center, ensuring compliance with preservation principles and local identity.
Two of the original buildings were unified to form Core A, situated along Rua Trás do Açougue. The intervention replaced structurally compromised interiors with a lightweight steel framework while retaining the stone façades, wooden eaves, and traditional openings. Inside, the ground and first floors accommodate bedrooms and bathrooms, and the top floor contains a social area with direct access to an outdoor terrace, encouraging communal interaction within the urban fabric.
Core B, on Travessa Luís Cardoso, preserves its independent volume and original structure with targeted reinforcement. Its reconfigured layout introduces a living area and kitchen on the ground floor, a study and pantry on the first, and three bedrooms and two bathrooms distributed across the upper levels. The rehabilitation reinstates traditional finishes, maintaining the visible texture of stone and timber while ensuring compliance with modern safety and performance standards.
Throughout both cores, the architectural strategy emphasizes the reuse of materials, minimal replacement, and enhancement of comfort without erasing historic character. Energy performance improvements elevate each building by at least two efficiency classes, achieved through the integration of new insulation systems and efficient ventilation. This technical upgrade complements the broader goal of urban revitalization, bringing renewed residential use to formerly neglected structures.
The University Residences stand as an example of measured intervention—an architectural response that values memory and context while supporting the evolving needs of student life in a historic city center.
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Project Location
Address: Torres Vedras, Portugal
The location specified is intended for general reference and may denote a city or country, but it does not identify a precise address.
