IDK

Pol do Mar is an ongoing case study exploring the transformation of a long abandoned concrete frame building in Madeira into a flexible, mixed use space for the local community and wider visitors. The project investigates how a strategy of adaptation and reuse can convert vacancy into ongoing use and potential, and how this approach might inform future projects of a similar nature.

Positioned between the sea and mountains, and adjacent to a football stadium, the existing structure is retained in its raw form. Rather than concealing the building's history, the design embraces its robust character as a piece of infrastructure — focusing first on securing the frame, establishing circulation cores and service runs, and creating an efficient sealed envelope before introducing the programme.

Open floor plates are adapted through cuts in the slab to introduce double height spaces and mezzanine areas, leading up to a rooftop terrace for events and elevated views of the surrounding landscape. The programme combines a fabrication workshop for prototyping and small scale making, residency living for short and long term creative stays, seasonal rental units, contingency spaces for events and exhibitions, and a food and beverage hub serving residents, the local community, and the adjacent football club.

A high performance glazed facade with solar control, operable shading, and integrated natural ventilation reduces reliance on mechanical systems. FSC certified CLT partitions, rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and integrated photovoltaics support a low carbon approach rooted in the specific conditions of the coastal Madeiran climate.

Project: Manufacturing Residency (Retrofit)
Location: Pol do Mar, Madeira
Year: 2025 - Ongoing
Type: Regeneration/Retrofit