Renovating 19th-century buildings without losing their character

Blocks of flats, Rua dos Fanqueiros, Lisbon. FG + SG - Researcher and architect Catarina Wall Gago has published a guide to renovation best practices, drawing on a study of historic housing in Lisbon, Oporto and Geneva. In her book, she explains how to make these homes fit for modern living while retaining their original features. European cities underwent a period of rapid expansion between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. Some cities, such as Haussmann-era Paris, saw the construction of "revenue houses" comprising multiple apartments for rental, while in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, rows of narrow, tightly packed terraced houses were built to accommodate a growing population. Over time, these historic homes have been renovated and upgraded to keep pace with new standards, technological advances and changing lifestyles. Yet converting old houses so they're fit for the modern age while preserving their original character is no easy task.