Remember the “sac bleu”? That’s where our story about Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia begins. This residential group’s construction was driven by the Grémio dos Armazenistas de Mercearia. This organization oversaw product entry into Porto. They collected fees and fines at the city’s Circumvalação checkpoints. These levies resulted in a “sac bleu”.
The manager asked Prime Minister Dr. Oliveira Salazar what to do with the funds. Distributing it to employees was out of the question. They decided to construct a residential neighborhood for the grocery warehouse workers. Houses were then distributed to willing candidates.
Interestingly, the same Grémio built a similar neighborhood in Lisbon. Unlike the single-family homes here at Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia, the Lisbon project featured apartments in a high-rise building. The location for Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia was chosen for its peripheral location. It was near the Circumvalação checkpoints. The area was quite rural. It sat between the small hubs of Ramalde and Vilarinha. Access was provided by electric tram number 3. A stream flowed nearby. There was also a public washhouse. A farmer supplied fresh produce to families.
The houses at Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia had two floors. Each home included a garden. The back offered space for a small vegetable garden and chicken coop. This allowed for self-sufficiency. Children walked to the nearby Vilarinha school. Summer holidays were arranged at Granja, Figueira da Foz. Costa da Caparica and Albufeira colonies belonged to the Grémio.
Rents were relatively controlled. At the time of construction, rent approximated half a family head’s salary. This was a considerable sum. Not everyone could afford it. Today, the Fundação dos Armazenistas de Mercearia manages the properties. This foundation was established after April 25. Initial residents or their children still occupy most homes. They maintain the original lease terms.
Like the neighboring Bairro de Ramalde, Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia shows concern for comfortable family living. This is evident in residents’ health. They enjoy a high life expectancy. Men approach 80 years. Women nearly reach 100.
Fernando Távora experimented with colors for these single-family homes. Blue, red, yellow, white, gray and black were all tested. These color studies resembled Piet Mondrian’s chromatic work in Composition No. II from 1920. The colors remained on paper only. Final construction used the “hygienic” white color. The Estado Novo preferred and imposed it. Would Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia have been more colorful otherwise?
The Grupo Residencial dos Armazenistas de Mercearia consists of affordable rental houses. They occupy land with a front of about 450 meters and a depth of 25 meters. A straight northeast-southwest road serves its largest dimension. The Ramalde Residential Unit’s sports area is opposite. It lies at a lower elevation.
The Grémio dos Armazenistas de Mercearia established the program. It was fully implemented. It provided two housing types. Type A had a hall, living and dining room. It also included a kitchen, three bedrooms and a bathroom. Type B featured a common room and kitchen. It also had two bathrooms. These were distributed in horizontal groups of four units of type A. Vertical groups had six of type B. This achieved better land use and essential volume variety. They are placed along the road. These buildings avoid excavations by respecting the existing terrain. The terrain conditions allow for a variant of type A with a basement. This does not prevent extending the living room onto a small garden. All houses of this type offer this feature.