dissertation•Rita Fernandes

Rita Fernandes•MIARQ Dissertation•FAUP•Concluded on 12th November 2025

Integrated Master Dissertation, FAUP.

Supervisors: Gisela Lameira and Luciana Rocha.

Final grade: 17/20.

Within an urban context marked by population ageing, climate urgency, and the growing precariousness of access to housing, this dissertation explores how multifamily housing can materialize solutions that respond to these challenges, taking as its case of study three projects developed by the Lacol Architectural Cooperative. The research is structured around three key thematic axes: population ageing, well-being, and energy efficiency, further developed through the lenses of accessibility and adaptability; programme and interior-exterior spatial relationships; and bioclimatic systems combined with complementary technologies. These themes guide the comparative analysis of La Balma (2017-2021), Sotrac (2020-ongoing), and La Raval (2017-2024). Based primarily on graphic and documentary material, the analysis identifies spatial, programmatic, and constructive strategies that contribute to addressing residents' needs, counteracting social isolation, and implementing environmentally sustainable practices. The results highlight that architecture can operate as an instrument of social and environmental transformation by organizing spaces, suggesting uses, and shaping dynamics of coexistence, thereby playing a decisive role in the relationship between people and the places they inhabit. Therefore, this dissertation contributes to the field of multifamily housing by offering significant references for the development of projects aimed at enhancing quality of life and ensuring long-term sustainability.

President: Prof. Doutor Luís Soares Carneiro;

Arguer: Doutora Sara Lia Brysch;

Supervisor: Doutora Maria Gisela Antunes Lameira.

This work was carried out within the scope of the research “Housing Think Tank” and the funded project “Well-Balanced Energy Housing” [2023.11189.PEX], ongoing at the Center for Studies in Architecture and Urbanism (CEAU-FAUP).

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