Renovation of the roof on the main building of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto

The Diagnostic Study of the envelope surrounding the Church and headquarters building of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto, located on Rua das Flores in Porto, includes a historical overview and a summary architectural characterisation of the buildings and their envelopes — roofs, exterior walls, glazed openings, and ground floors — highlighting key pathologies and the intervention methodology.

Across the centuries, these buildings have accumulated valuable history, documented in numerous publications about the Church of the Misericórdia and the headquarters building of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia/Casa do Despacho/Central Departments Building. Their physical and symbolic presence in the city demands the preservation of cultural heritage, as their current form results from multiple interventions over time.

Recently, the former Benefactors’ Gallery in the main building and the Private Church of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia underwent refurbishment works to ensure the comfort conditions of the new Museu da Misericórdia. Led by Eng. Vasco Freitas, the team conducted an exhaustive study of the hygrothermal conditions, proposing a "surgical operation" that minimized interventions while enhancing the original constructive features. In the Gallery, covered by a delicate iron and glass skylight, a programmed natural ventilation system was installed to regulate comfort in line with annual climate variations. To address rising damp caused by an underground river beneath the church’s foundations, specific treatments were introduced to the base of the walls and flooring.