URBIS was honoured by IHRU – the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation – with the First National Prize for Cooperative Development for its Cooperative Housing and Community Facility project – Nursing Home / Geriatric Centre, in Guifões, Matosinhos.
Promoted by the “As Sete Bicas” Affordable Housing Cooperative, C.R.L., the development is located on Avenida Salgado Zenha and comprises social housing, a nursing home and parking facilities. The complex was conceived as a continuous and integrated urban intervention, connected to its surroundings and designed to create a high-quality, people-centred residential environment.
The project comprises 40 social housing units, with one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, as well as a nursing home with 30 rooms, all with private bathrooms. The solution brought together different models of housing and social support within the same development, promoting integration between housing, community facilities and the wider community.
Sustainability was one of the development’s guiding principles, reflected in the use of durable, low-maintenance materials, the creation of landscaped areas, rainwater harvesting, the use of solar energy for domestic hot water, and the installation of systems designed to reduce water and electricity consumption.
For URBIS, this distinction represents national recognition of the project’s quality and an incentive to continue pursuing a practice guided by excellence, responsibility and the creation of architectural and urban solutions that have a positive impact on communities.
Final Note — Jury’s Statement
This development comprises multi-family residential buildings and a community facility housing a Day Centre, brought together in a robust architectural composition with refined detailing. Its integrated urban architectural design is strongly characterised by a pleasant residential quality, particularly through the distinctive treatment of the building base and the recessed upper floors. This approach is both formal and functional, providing additional private outdoor areas in the form of small courtyards and terraces.
The development also stands out for the high quality of its construction. Finally, it should be noted that this is an innovative pilot programme within this type of development, with significant social impact, fostering a natural and strong integration of different housing solutions and models within the same intervention and built volume.
