| Summary: | When new materials were introduced in the early twentieth century construction practice, buildings started to exhibit an experimentalist constructive diversity. This diversity was not only in terms of the structural systems, but also in terms of the materials that were used. In the early twentieth century, combining the so-called traditional materials (e.g. masonry and timber) with new emergent materials (e.g. iron, steel and reinforced concrete) in the same building was normal. Until the 1950-1960sy, buildings in Porto (Portugal) were often built with sturdy exterior walls made of granite stone masonry, while the interior structure, (columns and horizontal elements like beams and slabs) were made of reinforced concrete and the roofs were made with a timber structure. In some cases, the interior columns could also be made of cast iron. In addition to the diversity of materials, another aspect contributing to the large variability of these constructions can be seen to be associated with the existence of certain decorative features that were common at the time, which are termed herein as the "pretend structures". These "pretend structures" are not only associated with the simulation of structural materials, but also with the simulation of element cross sections. In light of this, it is considered that the conservation of early twentieth century buildings is complex, both in its theorization and in its practical implementation, because to intervene and to conserve one needs to know what is the actual structure. In this context, the proposed article focusses the constructive specificities of some buildings of this era.
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