Design firm: ALA.rquitectos
Project name: Casa Acreditar Lisboa
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Dimensions:1,300 square meters Casa Acreditar Lisboa is a care facility that has been operating since 2002, accommodating children and young people with cancer alongside their families, who are forced to move temporarily to the Portuguese capital to undergo treatment. The acquisition of the adjacent building provided an opportunity to renovate and expand the complex, increasing its reception capacity and the quality of its communal spaces. The project was designed by ALA.rquitectos, tasked with rethinking the facility not merely as a care facility but as a “home” offering comfort and a sense of belonging even far from home. The project enabled the expansion of the communal areas on the ground floor, the social heart of the building, and increased the number of accommodation units on the upper floors from 12 to 32. The project included a roof extension — with the conversion of the original roof into a zinc-clad attic level — the almost complete preservation of the existing façades and a thorough internal reorganization: extensive demolition work and adjustments to the floor levels have created a seamless and almost imperceptible connection between the two existing buildings, improving their structural and functional performance as well as their accessibility. Inside, a simple palette of immaculate surfaces, natural wood and diffused light lends the spaces a homely and soothing character.