Bairro do Bom Retiro – Vila Franca de Xira

The rehabilitation of Bom Retiro Neighbourhood, in Vila Franca de Xira, sought to renew a large-scale housing estate comprising multiple collective residential buildings, improving habitability, thermal performance, energy efficiency and the long-term durability of the built fabric. COLUNA supported the process through Integrated Design and Design Management, developing the engineering projects and coordinating them through a continuous and collaborative process with the architectural team, in order to support a broad intervention across façades, technical infrastructure, accessibility and the functional upgrading of the residential units.

Location Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal

Assets Type Residential

Customer Profiles Public Entity

Services Design Management, Integrated Design

Type of Interventions Collective Housing Rehabilitation

Gross Area 6,200 sq m

Investment EUR 3,700,000

Start / Completion Year To be confirmed

Current Status In progress

Gallery

Key Challenges
and Solutions Adopted

The intervention focused on a group of multifamily buildings affected by a range of recurring issues across façades, roofs, common areas and the interior of the units. The main challenge was to structure a coherent technical response to pathologies repeated across different lots and dwellings, while ensuring greater durability, lower maintenance needs and improved residential quality.

The proposal was developed around technically efficient solutions, compatible with current requirements for sustainability, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, but also suited to a large-scale rehabilitation process. The strategy included upgrading the building envelope, replacing window frames, improving insulation and updating materials and fixed equipment through a robust and rational construction approach.

The rehabilitation required an articulated intervention across several infrastructure systems, including water supply, drainage, rainwater systems, telecommunications, ventilation, smoke extraction and domestic hot water, together with targeted structural adaptations and the reformulation of internal networks within the units. Coordination between these workstreams was essential to ensure technical consistency, minimise on-site conflicts and deliver an integrated overall performance upgrade.

Beyond correcting pathologies, the project sought to improve the everyday use of the dwellings through the full renewal of kitchens and bathrooms, replacement of finishes, doors and fixed equipment, reorganisation of layouts and the introduction of more favourable accessibility conditions, particularly on the ground floors. This approach helped align the estate with more contemporary standards of comfort, functionality and inclusion.

Services provided

As part of Integrated Design, COLUNA developed the engineering projects required for the rehabilitation of the estate, ensuring an integrated technical response to the demands of infrastructure, comfort, performance, accessibility and overall building efficiency. The work focused on the systems and networks necessary to support the functional upgrading of the dwellings and the wider enhancement of the neighbourhood. Outcome: an integrated technical basis to support a large-scale housing rehabilitation project with greater robustness, performance and consistency across systems.

COLUNA was responsible for the technical coordination of the different engineering projects, through a continuous and collaborative process with the architectural team, promoting compatibility between diagnosis, intervention strategy, construction solutions and regulatory requirements. This coordination was essential to structure a coherent response across the multiple rehabilitation fronts and to support the development of the project with greater technical control. Outcome: stronger coordination and a more robust project basis for licensing, construction and the long-term enhancement of the estate.

Results /
Impact for the Client

Technical structuring of the rehabilitation of a large-scale housing estate
Alignment between pathology diagnosis, contemporary performance targets and intervention feasibility
Integrated upgrading of the estate’s infrastructure and technical systems
Improved comfort, accessibility and functionality across the residential units
Enhancement of a public residential asset through a broad and technically coordinated intervention
Creation of a solid basis for construction, durability and reduced future maintenance needs

Before/After Gallery

Antes da obra

Após a reabilitação

Antes da obra

Após a reabilitação

Bairro do Bom Retiro – Vila Franca de Xira