A-000 — Cover sheet
Architecture & retrofit · Porto, Portugal
Varda
Studio
Varda Hale Architects
Sheet
A-000
Project
Index of works, 2014–2026
Scale
NTS
Date
10.2026
Drawn
TV / IH
Status
Current issue
2014 — 41 works — 2026
An architecture studio in Porto drawing houses, workshops and careful retrofits for people who intend to stay.
Hale
Fig. 01 — Fair-faced concrete and one stair: the restraint we work towards.
S-001 — General notes
Small buildings, drawn slowly and dimensioned precisely.
01
We take on four projects a year. Each is drawn by both partners, from the first survey to the last site visit.
02
We measure before we sketch. Every brief starts with a measured drawing of what is already there.
03
Existing walls stay unless they cannot. Retrofit first, demolition last.
04
Materials are specified by origin: brick from Barcelos, granite from Ponte de Lima, cork from Coruche.
05
Drawings are dimensioned in millimetres. Programmes, in weeks we can keep.
Fig. 02 — Window light on fair-faced concrete, late afternoon.
12
Years in practice
41
Works completed
7
People in the studio
4
Projects a year
D-001 – D-004 — Details
Where the materials meet.
Four junctions we draw at 1:5 on almost every project. Redline callouts are keyed to the notes under each sheet and to the material legend.
01
02
03
D-001
Scale 1:5 · TI
Hallway floor and frames
01
Recessed downlight, flush ceiling
02
Flush door frame, painted
03
Oak boards, 22 mm, oiled
01
02
03
D-002
Scale 1:5 · GR
Granite wall, repointed
01
Existing granite, cleaned by hand
02
Lime mortar NHL 3.5, recessed joint
03
No cement, no sealant
01
02
03
D-003
Scale 1:5 · LI
Lime render
01
Three-coat lime render, 25 mm
02
Trowelled finish, left unpainted
03
Vapour-open: no membrane behind
01
02
03
D-004
Scale 1:5 · CO
Worktop and shelf
01
Oak shelf, 30 mm, hidden fixings
02
Polished concrete worktop, 40 mm
03
Glazed tile splashback
Legend
CO
Concrete
TI
Timber
GR
Granite
LI
Lime
ST
Steel
Scroll the strip →
R-001 — Revisions
Revision history.
The practice, issued and reissued since 2014.
Rev. A
2014
First issue
Teresa Varda opens a one-room office on Rua de Cedofeita. First commission: a kitchen and a staircase.
Rev. B
2016
First new house
A two-bedroom house in Viana do Castelo, built in local brick by a team of four.
Rev. C
2018
Move to Bonfim
The studio moves into a former tram-depot workshop. Team grows to five.
Rev. D
2021
Retrofit, half the work
The Arcos granary sets the course: since then, half our projects start with an existing building.
Rev. E
2024
Varda Hale
Inês Hale becomes partner after eight years in the studio. The practice is renamed.
Rev. F
2026
Current issue
Seven people, four projects on the board, two on site.
J-001 — Field notes
Notes from the studio.
Short pieces on drawing, materials and site, written by the people who do the work. Published when we have something to say.
J-03
14.10.2026
Why we still draw the first line by hand
A pencil is slow, and that is the point. On the first sketch, the drawing that decides almost everything else.
Essay
6 min
J-02
22.09.2026
Repointing granite: a short guide for owners
Lime, not cement. Why the joint matters more than the stone, and what to ask your builder before the scaffold goes up.
Notes
4 min
J-01
30.08.2026
The models we keep
Card, balsa and a little plaster. A short tour of the shelf above the drawing desk, and what each model taught us.
Studio
5 min
T-001 — Transmittal
Issue us a brief.
Tell us about the site, the budget and when you would like to move in. We reply within three working days — usually with questions.
To
Varda Hale Architects
Address
Rua do Bonjardim 1120, 3.º, 4000-123 Porto
studio@vardahale.pt
Phone
+351 220 000 418
Hours
Mon–Fri, 09:30–18:30
Visits
By appointment, in the studio or on your site