António Bessa Cruz Architects replaces Porto car workshop with industrial-themed home

António Bessa Cruz Architects (ABCA) has completed Agramonte House, a new-build home in Porto, Portugal, on the site of a former car repair workshop. The client initially wanted to convert the existing structure into a loft, but structural issues made renovation impossible. Instead, the studio designed a residence that echoes the industrial character of the original building through its material palette and insular courtyard layout. The L-shaped house presents a largely blank facade to the street to block views of the adjacent Agramonte Cemetery, with high-level windows bringing daylight into the central living, dining, and kitchen area. Materials include exposed concrete, steel-framed windows, handmade bricks, and dark oak wood. Two warehouse-like glazed sections with black steel frames open onto paved courtyards. The kitchen features full-height dark oak cupboards, while the lounge area has a modular grey sofa and a large concrete staircase illuminated by clerestory windows. On the ground floor, three bedrooms and two bathrooms line a brick corridor overlooking the courtyards. The first floor contains the main bedroom suite with a timber plinth bed and walk-in wardrobe. Bathrooms use charcoal-painted blockwork, white tiles with black grout, tubular metal fittings, and black-steel screens. Photography is by Alexander Bogorodskiy.