Savoy Residence

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

Savoy Residence 

Rh+ Architecture

ARQUITETOS
Rh+ Arquitectos

CLIENT
Grupo Afa

FIRE SAFETY ENGINEER
António Matias

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Afa Vias

COLLABORATORS
Cristina Perdigão

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Roberto Castro, Hugo Jesus

MANUFACTURERS
Bisazza, Cifial, Catalano, Cortizo, Florim, Starpool, Bindopor, Casa Dolce Casa, Casamood

PROJECT MANAGE
João Almeida

STRUTURAL PROJECT
José Câmara

INTERIOR DESIGN TEAM
Rh+ Arquitectos

PLUMBING ENGINEER
Miguel Bettencourt

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Fernando Sousa Pereira

AIR CONDITIONING ENGINEER
Pedro Camacho

ENERGY EFFICIENCY ENGINEERING 
Francisco Ferreira

PHOTOGRAPHS
João Morgado

AREA
32614 Ft²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Funchal, Portugal

CATEGORY
Hotels, Mixed Use Architecture, Residential

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

‘Savoy Residence’ has 3030 m2 of Gross Built Area and was built in an area of Funchal (Portugal) that has no specific pattern when it comes to the dimensions or function of the buildings surrounding it.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

The level variations and the location of the plot were determinant to the concept of this building, mainly for housing, but also containing hotel services, such as a Spa and accommodation units.

Twenty-one luxury apartments compose this housing complex, whose standards of living are noticed in the materials, finishes, range of colours, architecture and interior design.

Instead of a single volume, the apartments were divided into two blocks, allowing them to have more spaces opened towards the exterior, more natural light, and better sights towards the landscape.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

The building isn´t close to the street or the plot's limits, allowing it to be more independent, having its own architectural identity.

This solution was also important to create gardens in the surrounding areas – some for public use, some that are part of the apartments. A hedge, inserted in these gardens, defines a light threshold between João Paulo II Street and the building.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

The gardens and the hedge itself are also crucial elements in terms of the interior spaces of the ground floor apartments, to whom they are directly connected, creating a different interior atmosphere from the upper-level apartments.

Even though the building is generated from a pure geometric matrix, it is deconstructed to be adapted to the location and the surroundings. The exterior walls go back, forward or are interrupted throughout the building to define big windows and balconies as if it were an extension of the interior spaces.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

Structural concrete elements were kept at sight, as an aesthetical option, integrating them as part of the design of the façades. This also helps to achieve this intention of deconstruction of purer geometrical volumes and seems to take away its technical and functional characteristics.

The façades are also composed of large size porcelain tiles, with a dark marble pattern, which is the main and most distinctive material of the building, that reinforces its luxury image. Polished Tiles reflect the surroundings, especially the sky, adding depth to the surfaces and making the straight lines of the volumes seem lighter.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

In terms of interior design, it has a minimal style with some industrial elements: big panels, straight and simple lines, materialized by the darker wooden (Walnut wood) surfaces and light porcelain tiles panels. This neutral design allows the inhabitants to have wider customizing options on how to stage the spaces.

Being next to a Hotel, that belongs to the same client, that was lacking some additional services, the housing complex also comprises nine new rooms, a Spa, an interior pool, a gym, and conference rooms, linked directly to the Hotel, but with independent access.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

The name of the Hotel – ‘Gardens’ – was the motto to the interior design choices, that makes the guest come closer to a natural environment.

The most relevant ones are the shades of green of the swimming pool tiles and the vertical gardens covering the walls as if it were an interior garden, whose organic nature is controlled by geometry and contrasts with man-built elements.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

One of these elements, which has the strongest presence in the Spa area, is the lighting system of the swimming pool, composed of metals tubes, with a dark finish that resembles forged iron, common in industrial spaces.

Nature and gardens and are also part of the design of the rooms, that makes themselves feel present in materials such as marble, wood, and leather. More directly, there is the wallpaper with an illustration of tropical plants, covering the headboard.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado

The materials help to define different areas of the rooms: the leather panels are used in the closet and other functional spaces; the large size porcelain tiles cover the bathroom walls; marble was used in some furniture surfaces in the bedroom; the living room has a vertical slatwall panel, that establishes a matrix in which the furniture pieces and appliances are placed.

Contrasting to the natural materials, forged dark iron is used once again, this time in the frame of the shower's glass partition, and also in the structure of the washbasin countertop, resembling a simpler and industrial design.

Savoy Residence
© João Morgado


Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado
Savoy Residence
© João Morgado


Savoy Residence
Modelo 02
Savoy Residence
Modelo 01


Savoy Residence
Section GWest elevation
Savoy Residence
South elevation
Savoy Residence
West elevation
Savoy Residence
East elevation


Savoy Residence
Section H
Savoy Residence
Section GWest elevation


Savoy Residence
Plan -2
Savoy Residence
Plan -1
Savoy Residence
Plan 2