São Victor House by COMBO Architects Studio: A Poetic Restoration of a 19th-Century Bourgeois Residence in Porto

A Sensitive Revival of Porto’s Architectural Heritage

Originally built between 1880 and 1881, the São Victor House once stood as a typical example of Porto’s bourgeois residential architecture. Over the years, the building lost much of its identity through unplanned and insensitive alterations. Interior compartmentalization, aimed at maximizing rental income, disrupted the spatial logic and degraded the historic character of the house.

COMBO Architects Studio approached this renovation with the sensitivity of an archaeologist and the vision of a contemporary designer. Their mission was clear: to strip away the superfluous layers of intervention and reveal the essence of the house beneath. Through a thoughtful balance of subtraction and preservation, the architects succeeded in reimagining the São Victor House as a harmonious blend of past and present.

Uncovering the Past, Designing for the Present

The design strategy revolved around two main goals: recovering the original architectural features and adapting the space to modern living without compromising its historical integrity. Typical elements of 19th-century Porto homes—high ceilings, intricate carpentry, and a central staircase crowned by a conical skylight—were restored to evoke the home's authentic character.

Inside, the excessive partitions that once fractured the space were dismantled. What remained was a purified architectural volume that allowed light to flow freely and the original proportions to breathe once again.

Spatial Layout and Program

Despite its compact 45 m² footprint, the house unfolds across four vertical levels, offering a total of 145 m² of usable space:

• Ground Floor: Entrance hall and central staircase (commercial space excluded from renovation).
• First Floor: Open-plan living room and kitchen.
• Second Floor: Bedroom and bathroom.
• Third Floor: Second bedroom designed as a flexible studio space with an integrated workspace.

In a clever response to the client's dual needs—residence and studio—the architects devised a foldable, tripartite wall-mounted table along the facade of the top floor. This piece transforms effortlessly from an artist’s workstation to a discreet panel, ensuring functional adaptability in limited space.

Materiality, Light, and Atmosphere

A key part of the renovation focused on material authenticity and light optimization. The design team used traditional materials such as natural wood, Estremoz marble, and handcrafted Portuguese azulejos to root the interiors in a tactile connection to local heritage.

Neutral color palettes, light surfaces, and the reintroduction of skylights amplified natural light across all floors. A false ceiling removed in the attic revealed a previously hidden mansard roof, dramatically increasing ceiling height and enhancing the luminous quality of the top bedroom.

In the kitchen and bathrooms, custom-designed furniture and fixtures reinterpret historical references—like stone sinks and large chimney hoods—with a minimalist, contemporary language.

Craftsmanship and Subtle Discoveries

During demolition, several hidden architectural details were rediscovered, including an old partition wall in the WC, which was preserved as a sculptural element. Lost carpentry, including baseboards, door jambs, and shutters, was reconstructed using traditional joinery techniques, honoring the building’s original craftsmanship.

A Thoughtful Urban Infill

São Victor House stands as a model for urban regeneration through respectful renovation. It demonstrates how compact heritage buildings in dense European cities can be transformed for modern use without erasing their past. With surgical precision and creative restraint, COMBO Architects Studio turned this once-fragmented structure into a poetic, light-filled home and studio that celebrates memory, materiality, and architectural legacy.

All Photographs are works of Alexander Bogorodskiy