Next stop: facade!

Dear Arrebitas,

Team 8 is now preparing the work to be done in the facade, between the improvement of the drawings of the windows and doors, and choosing a range of possible colors to apply. Having in mind the fact that our pilot project is located in the “priority intervention area of Infante D. Henrique”, a well-known historical and protected area, we are making sure that the building maintains its original features.

In this sense, the next step will be to clean and repair the facade with the products provided by Weber, to which will follow the test of an array of color samples to match the existing ones, made possible by CIN.

To continue this effort, the doors on the ground floor will be refurbished by us with the help of PIGMA, in a workshop format session that will give us the tools to do the work ourselves!

 The windows, on the other hand, due to their poor conditions of conservation, will need to be replaced completely. Following the same logic of the rest of the facade, we aim at maintaining their material, colour and design, improving at the same time their insulation qualities, with double glazing. We are now on the run for new partners who can help us achieve these goals!

For all of this and more we are eager to see some improvement on the weather so we can start with the hands-on work! As soon as the scaffolding is placed we will also be able to start thinking about the building’s soffit, to be designed and built by Sr. João Pacheco. 

At Sr. João’s atelier, right next to Ponte Luís I, the 1:20 model of Reboleira 42 is also showing progress, as the structure of the building is reaching completion and growing progressively, just as the building itself.

Tomorrow we will meet Rita, Daniel and Natalia, our wonderful team of engineers and architects, and afterwards discuss the evolution of the work with the contractor, in order to establish the guidelines and deadlines for the next weeks!

We’ll keep you posted, anytime soon!

Roof structure: Check!

Arrebita is proud to announce that the roof of Reboleira 42 is finally complete! With the support of Telhas Cobert and its workers, the building got through the bad weather and is now one step closer to its completion.  We also had the visit of Eng. Carlos Capitão, from Tintas CIN, who came to see the work in progress and explained to us the correct way to prepare and apply the paint, so we can start with the coating of the chimneys in the days to come. 

Back at Mouzinho da Silveira, we had a presentation by Porto Vivo about the rehabilitation program they have in place for the historical centre of Porto. Having in mind the difficulties faced by private owners, and the lack of a proper support structure, Porto Vivo has developed a methodology to take the matter into their own hands, as well as developing an important role in the mediation and facilitation of the licencing process of rehabilitation proposals, such as Arrebita!Porto.

After a sunny weekend, we got back to the office and also had the opportunity to start a new project with Sr. João Pacheco, to be developed in the next few weeks: building a 1:20 model of the pilot project of Arrebita!Porto. We will keep you posted on it as we go along!

 Between visits to the building, progress at the office, and some site seeing, we had a visit from Thinking Big, and got to participate in an interesting group building experience. During the session we had the opportunity to understand and put to practice different communication and expression skills, instigating group dynamics and building upon shared experiences. A Big thanks to Edite Amorim, and also Rita and Catarina for the experience!

Two weeks after its arrival, Team 8 is off to an enthusiastic start! With the roofs’ completion, the work on site will now be focused on the facade, with the training and support of Weber’s team.

More soon!

Team 8 has arrived!

Arrebita is back with a new team! We are Andrew Cumine, Guilherme Vieira, Ana Paula Emídio, Ilaria Baldini and Joana Varajão (from left to right) and we have arrived ready to work! After a quick introduction by José, Rita and Daniel, we visited the building for the first time and talked about the work to be done. The roof is holding up perfectly and it survived the challenging weather of the last couple of days, so we can say with certainty it will survive anything! 

Yesterday we got to spend the day in Matosinhos and had a very useful Archicad workshop provided by Infor-Sociedade Portuguesa de Estudos e Informática Lda, which helped us understand the program better and move around the drawings of the project with ease. A big thanks to Ricardo Dias for the patience and help throughout the day and also to Eng. Araújo for welcoming us!

Last, but not least, a big thanks to Margarida and Leo from Team 7 for all the information they provided us with, and for the warm welcome into the project!

More soon!

Time to say goodbye

It seems like only yesterday that we started working for Arrebita!Porto but three months have flown by and it’s time for Team 7 to say goodbye. It was an intense but rewarding experience: we helped on the construction site, mainly by loading and unloading material; we saw the roof being built before our eyes; we helped promote Arrebita in a number of initiatives; we redesigned this blog; we developed a new assemblage concept for the A!Box; and, above all, we had the opportunity to be part of this great project that is set to change the historical centre of Porto for the better.

Team 7: Alexandra, Filippo, Leo, Margarida and Philippe

This final week had a bittersweet taste: on the one hand, seeing the roof practically finished made us feel a sense of accomplishment; on the other hand, it was hard to say goodbye to all the people we have grown close to during these months in Porto.

On Monday, on the eve of Alexandra’s departure, the team got together for a final drink with Rita and Daniel, our engineering coordinators. There was red wine and ‘Moscatel’ from Setúbal, along with some snacks provided by Alexandra. All in all, it was a great evening.

The group photo of our final get together with Rita and Daniel

Before we say our final goodbyes, we would like to thank the people who made these three months so enjoyable:

First of all, we would like to thank José Paixão for coming up with this brilliant idea to renovate the historical centre of Porto. Your drive to make Arrebita! happen is an inspiration to us all. And, in spite of your tendency to hum songs, we always enjoyed your company and supervision in the office.

We would also like to thank Rita and Daniel for being the coolest people we met while staying in Porto. You were always available, be it to help us at the office or to show us around the city. We surely hope we will meet again.

We would like to thank Natalia Solano Meza for her enthusiasm. We would like to thank Pedro Costa and Victor Sousa for contributing for the good mood of the team every time they came to work at the office.

We also owe a big “thank you” to all the workers we came in contact with in the construction site, with a special mention to the always ‘careful’ Mr. Joaquim.

It was a pleasure to meet and work with Mr. João Pacheco, a carpenter born and bred in Ribeira. The opportunity to work along such an experienced person was certainly enriching.

Last but not least, we would like to thank all the partners of the Arrebita network: you are the ones that keep making this project possible.

Team 7 is over but we’ll keep following any new developments in Arrebita with a keen interest. Margarida and Leo will be around in the second week of January in order to welcome Team 8. Until then, we wish all our followers happy holidays with their loved ones. Goodbye... for now – we might meet again in the great opening of the building, in December 2014. ;-)

Team 7 says goodbye

A day with the President

Hi readers! Another week has gone by and we have exciting news.

Arrebita!Porto was invited to be part of a social entrepreneurship symposium promoted by the President of Portugal, Prof. Aníbal Cavaco Silva. This was a singular opportunity to expose our project to a wider and more social-conscious audience, and we were determined to set up a small exhibition that would be truly representative of Arrebita.

As such, we started by designing a three-sided panel in which we could explain our operating principles, identify the partners that make the project possible and show the current state of the construction works in the building.

We also decided to take advantage of Mr. João Pacheco’s carpentry expertise in order to build a 1:10 model of our new proposal for the A!Box. On the one hand, the model would show one of the key elements for the refurbishing project and, we hope, the future financial sustainability of Arrebita; on the other hand, it also provided the perfect ‘excuse’ to exemplify how Arrebita can help promote members of the local community by showcasing their skills.   

Philippe and Mr. João Pacheco worked for six days straight in his small workshop under D. Luis Bridge, making sure that the model would have every detail represented.

 

Philippe and João Pacheco working on the model

Philippe and João Pacheco discussing some options

After a re-scheduling due to Nelson Mandela’s memorial in South Africa on Wednesday, the eagerly-awaited symposium with the President finally arrived yesterday. While Philippe and Mr. João Pacheco applied the final touches to the A!Box model, Margarida and Leo went in early to the event venue to set up the Arrebita exhibition. Some of the materials/samples donated by partners to Arrebita were displayed alongside the three-sided panel; the A!Box model completed the showcase.

Our small stand

Samples and catalogs from some of our partners

The A!Box model was a showstopper

The model included all the structural elements and appliances

In the middle of the afternoon, the President of Portugal made a short visit to our stand accompanied by the newly elected mayor of Porto, Dr. Rui Moreira. Prof. Cavaco Silva commended José Paixão for his presentation of the project during a more restricted event in the morning and displayed some curiosity about the A!Box. José addressed a formal invitation to the President of Portugal to attend the inauguration of our pilot project one year from now. The mayor of Porto then made a point of declaring his personal interest in the project, since it is actively trying to reenergise the city centre of Porto.

José Paixão talking to the President and the Mayor

© Presidência da República Portuguesa

All in all, the symposium was a great experience for the team and, above all, a priceless opportunity for Arrebita to reach more people. Indeed, we got major media coverage during this week, from digital newspapers to radio stations and television channels.

Until Team 7 final goodbye next week, Arrebita!