Bloco da Carvalhosa

Bloco da Carvalhosa is a residential building in Porto, designed by Arménio Losa and Cassiano Barbosa in the 1940s. Its six floors rise above neighbouring row houses, while the broad façade and deep plan create front and rear volumes around a courtyard.

The project joined several narrow plots and introduced modern ideas about collective housing in Portugal. Individual garages, garbage chutes, a shared courtyard and a large entrance hall shaped everyday life, while the apartments separated living areas from bedrooms. North-facing kitchens and bathrooms paired with south-facing bedrooms and living rooms, whose openings supported cross-ventilation and balanced light. The building is classified as a monument of public interest.

Originally, each apartment included a solarium, an open-air terrace or suspended garden later enclosed by order of the city authorities. The architects’ guiding idea was “space, greenery and light”, linking private interiors with shared outdoor space.