The living room of this apartment renovated by Portuguese architect Tiago Filipe Santos opens onto a tiered courtyard garden.

Named Arroios Apartment, the residence occupies a long narrow space on the ground floor of a typical Lisbon apartment block.

Behind the living room, open doorways lead through to a dining room and kitchen behind, while bedrooms are arranged in a row beyond.

The white walls that enclose the courtyard match those inside the apartment, creating the impression that this external space is just another room.

You can see more projects from Portugal here, including an apartment with a yellow wall of storage and a house with a huge hole in the roof.

Photography is by Invisible Gentleman.

Here's a short description of the project sent by the photographer:

14| arroios apartment

TYPOLOGY

The apartment is part of a typical Lisbon old building.

It’s long proportion produces a set of spaces on which the presence of natural light is the main challenge.

COURTYARD/GARDEN

The apartment is refurbished having the courtyard/garden as a central area that is totally open to the living room and adjacent spaces.

The courtyard is the main source of natural light for the apartment.

CONTINUOUS SPACES

The continuity and flow between the common spaces of the apartment (living room, dining room and kitchen) is clearly felt by the absence of doors be- tween these spaces.

Transitions are felt by in-built furniture or by the memory of ancient doors.

ROOMS

The 3 bedrooms are redesigned and functionally more adequate to modern needs. The master bedroom becomes a suite with the private bathroom and the in-built closet.

CLOSETS AND MULTIPLE STORAGE AREAS

Closets and unexpected areas of storage are in-built as a solution that optimizes space and takes close attention to every “dead” area in the apartment.

MODERN GLAZING

New windows area brought in to improve the acoustic and thermal conditions of the apartment.

HEATING

In-built natural gas heating system improves the thermal efficiency of the apartment.

EXTERIOR NATURAL WOOD DECK

The exterior natural wood deck is the perfect place for long afternoons and late evenings with friends and family.

COURTYARD/GARDEN POSSIBILITIES

The remaining area of the courtyard is open to be used for a green lawn or blue pool.

Architect: Tiago Filipe Santos
Function: housing
Localization: Arroios, Lisbon Portugal
Client: private
Year: 2010/2011
Built area: 90 sqm
Garden area: 45 sqm