Bouça Housing Complex
Álvaro Siza Vieira · Porto, Portugal · 2006
The Bouça housing project places social and cooperative housing within Porto's existing urban fabric. Álvaro Siza's scheme began in the 1970s and was completed through a later campaign in 2006. Parallel residential rows, external stairs and shared spaces produce a clear collective arrangement while preserving individual entrances and domestic identity. A substantial wall responds to the railway edge and helps define the precinct. The project demonstrates how economical repeated elements can support a varied neighbourhood. Its architectural value is inseparable from its continued use as housing, so the relationship between public routes and residents' spaces matters. Visiting: A lived-in housing cooperative. View from public routes and respect residents' privacy.