Uma Caixa para o Habitar: A Madeira como material de intervenção num conjunto edificado na margem do rio Leça

Abstract

This master's dissertation arises from the need to intervene in an abandoned site. The research is structured in two parts. The first begins with an analysis of the territory of Ardegães, in the municipality of Maia, where a context of urban degradation and fragmentation is identified. Ardegães is characterized by the presence of the Leça River and a set of vernacular constructions that are currently obsolete. These constitute both the starting point and the pretext for the development of the work. The territory reveals a strong potential for regeneration, particularly through the enhancement of the Leça riverfront and the rehabilitation of abandoned buildings, especially former mills. Within this context, the proposal focuses on the residential reactivation of these pre-existing structures through their structural recovery and the insertion of an autonomous volume, referred to as the "box." The second part of the dissertation therefore addresses the development of this minimal, self-sufficient, and reversible unit. The "box," designed to be inserted within existing structures without compromising their integrity, integrates all essential domestic functions: cooking, hygiene, and sleeping. Its internal organization follows a logic of formal economy and constructive precision, adapting to each of these fundamental activities. From a constructive perspective, the research explores the potential of timber as the primary material, privileging lightweight, dry, and reversible systems. The proposal brings together traditional building techniques and contemporary methods of fabrication and assembly, promoting a synthesis between artisanal knowledge and current digital processes.