The building of Granjinhos: restoration and expansion

Abstract eng:
The aim of this research is to present a reflection on the name of this Congress itself, "Heritage and Sustainable Development" through a theoretical analysis of these concepts and the presentation of a successful case study. In the first part we reflect on the theory of the two proposed concepts: Heritage and Sustainable Preservation. In the second part we study a practical case, under the light of these previous analyses. The understanding of heritage defines it as a memory’s object which reveals two of its natures: the intangible heritage and the material heritage. Therefore the importance of heritage in the lives of individuals and societies, the evolution of its importance, its preservation and the general principles in the built intervention are the parameters of the definition of heritage. The knowledge over the concept of sustainability focused on the definition of the concept of structure, on the importance of functionality, on the technical conditions of support and durability of the edification as well as the economic sustainability. The presented case study refers to the restoration and recovery of a house of the beginnings of the XIX century, expanding it with a new building to suit its purpose of receiving disabled people. For such purpose the APPACDM Braga acquired this property. This restoration dealt with respecting the environment as a physical place with an historical memory, maintaining, recovering and restoring all the original construction and demolishing all the degraded annexes. In the building expansion, care was taken to maintain the exterior traditional materials as well as the same architectural proportions and the superlative importance of the original construction in relation to the new building. Therefore the rhythms of the original building elements were maintained in the new construction with a contemporary stylistic language; also new construction technology was used to increase the longevity of the building. The crucial parameters regarding its sustainability resulted from the change of use type from housing to care equipment. The economic profitability of the space was guaranteed with ARS funds and cash benefits from the users. The success of this recovery project is on a base level, due to the adherence to the principles of the Athens Charter, and further assisted by the use of new technologies, the change of use and its new economic viability.

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