Fábrica no Jardim

Prized, Architect-Designed, Modern Factory Home

The creative collaboration of its architect and designer owners with Portuguese firm figueiredo + pena arquitectos, this award-winning home was rebuilt in 2018 in the style of the factory that once occupied its lush, green lot. Derived from the original, the residence is clad in corrugated steel, with contrasting interiors in concrete, terrazzo stone and wood. With two terraces overlooking its private garden, an oasis of old stones, pebbled paths, and outdoor seating shaded by thick trees, this aptly named “Factory in the Garden” offers that rare, private green space in the heart of seafaring, medieval Porto.

Reached via an external staircase leading out of an initial reception structure, the detached, three-story house’s cement walls are decorated with a cheery mix of retro and modern handicrafts. The kitchen-living room is set with a convivial farm table that extends into the garden terraces and upstairs bedrooms are loft-like and contemporary, with the top floor also housing a living room under the bold cross beams with views of the city skyline and garden below.

Around

Set on Porto’s Rua do Almado street, once known for its hardware and plumbing merchants and the first large thoroughfare to be built outside of the city walls, this central Porto street is today abuzz with cafes and tattoo parlors, coffeehouses and hip wine bars. Walking distance from São Bento train station and the city’s looming cathedral, the street is also home to vintage boutiques, vinyl shops, and artists’ studios punctuated at one end by the neo-Gothic Chapel of the Divine Heart. Look up, as always in a European urban area, to take in the many balconies and architectural accents overhead. This being Porto, also pay special attention to the tiles covering the facades. Some azulejos date from the 13th century, when the Moors occupied the area, bringing with them the decorative ceramic tradition Porto is famed for today.

The slow-moving Douro River winds through the city, and ultimately flows into the Atlantic, crossed by the impressive Ponte Dom Luis I Bridge. The river is plied by boats both ancient and modern topped with freight, including the picturesque barges stacked with barrels destined for the city’s Port producers. Porto’s historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Classified Site encompassing the medieval heart of the city within 14th-century Romanesque walls. Streets here are long and winding, with ornately patterned, tiled buildings as well as darker passageways of steep stairs left from darker, medieval days. Not to be missed in Porto is Vila Nova de Gaia, the port wine cellars and producers located on the Douro waterfront on the riverbank opposite Porto’s Old Town. The waterfront on Porto's city center side is a lively promenade lined with restaurants and shops and old boats and barges open for visits.

For an easy beach day outside the city center, head to Matosinhos to catch some waves, buy the daily, local catch, or wander the sands of Espinho, long lazy stretches ideal for sunbathing or beach jogging.

Location

Nearest airport: Porto (15 miles)

Best time to visit

April to October